2020 Senate Bill 886 ↩

House Roll Call 482: Passed

To suspend through the end of 2020 various limits, restrictions and requirements related to collecting state unemployment insurance benefits for layoffs related to the epidemic. Among other things benefits would be payable for up to 26 weeks instead of 20 weeks; benefit payments would not be assessed against an employer’s unemployment insurance account; workers would not have to seek another job while collecting benefits; “work-sharing” plans would be allowed; eligibility restrictions would be eased and more. The bill also clarifies that individuals who are independent contractors were eligible for benefits as of March 15, 2020. An earlier "tie-bar" was removed, meaning other bills extending epidemic-related liability protections to employers and other institutions do not also have to become law for this one to become law.