North Carolina poverty law advocates should be aware that Governor
Easley has given final approval to an important new law that is designed
to modernize and streamline access to unemployment insurance. The
new law's temporary citation is Session Law 2003-220 and can be accessed
at the General Assembly's web site (Click
Here to read citiation)
The new law, which was originally introduced as Senate Bill 439, would
make several changes, including:
| • |
Clarifying
the definition of "family hardship" to assure that workers
who must leave work to care for an ill or disabled family member
can obtain benefits; |
| • |
Clarifying
rules that govern eligibility when a worker is forced to leave
work to escape domestic violence and removing the requirement
that the victim obtain a protective order in order to be eligible
for benefits; |
| • |
Assisting
laid-off part-time workers to obtain benefits by allowing them
to look for part-time work rather than full-time as had been the
previous requirement; and |
| • |
Helping
so-called "trailing spouses" by reducing the "disqualification
period" from five weeks to two weeks in most situations and
eliminating it entirely for workers forced to relocate as a result
of their military spouse's reassignment. |
The
new law became effective yesterday afternoon (June 19) when it was
signed by the Governor.
For
more information, feel free to contact Rob
Schofield or Bill Rowe
at the Justice Center.
