Unemployment bills pass the House

Creating a more competitive business climate is a priority for ABI this legislative session. Two pro-jobs bills advanced out of the House this week. HF 533 passed the Iowa House 97-0. The legislation corrects an 2016 Iowa Supreme Court decision and codifies how the unemployment system at Iowa Workforce Development has worked for the last 40 years. The court decision had determined a claimant who was disqualified from misconduct from supplemental/concurrent employment may still draw wage credits from other base employers.

The other legislation, HF 542, increases the amount an individual would have to make to re-qualify for a second year of unemployment benefits from $250 to 8 times the individual’s weekly benefit amount. Although the bill received no discussion on the House floor, it passed with a party line vote of 58-39. Both bills must now get through a committee in the Iowa Senate before March 31, which is the second funnel deadline.