Signed by Governor Asa Hutchinson

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals involvement with the federal unemployment benefits program.

Highlights:

• Alleges the legislature intends to accomplish the following (Sec. 1):

• Concur with and approve the Governor’s decision stated in his letter dated May 7, 2021, to the Director of the Division of Workforce Services terminating the State of Arkansas’s participation in:

• The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program;

• The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program;

• The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program;

• The Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation program;

• The Emergency Unemployment Relief for Governmental Entities and Nonprofit Organizations program; and

• The Temporary Full Federal Funding of the First Week of Compensable Regular Unemployment for States with No Waiting Week program; and

• Concur with and approve the notice of intent to terminate the Agreement Implementing the Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act between the United States Department of Labor and the State of Arkansas.

• Requires the Director of the Division of Workforce Services shall take all appropriate steps to reduce and prevent unemployment, to encourage and assist in the adoption of practical methods of vocational training, retraining, and vocational guidance, to investigate, recommend, advise, and assist in the establishment and operation by municipalities, counties, planning districts, school districts, and the state of programs for public works to be used in times and places of economic downturn and high unemployment (Sec. 2.a).

• Requires the Director of the Division of Workforce Services to cooperate with the United States Department of Labor to the fullest extent consistent with the law and may take such action, through the adoption of such appropriate rules, administrative methods, and standards as may be necessary to secure to this state and its citizens all advantages available (Sec. 3.a).

• Specifies this law does not mandate the director to participate in, nor preclude the director from ceasing to participate in, any voluntary, optional, special, or emergency program offered by the United States Government, including without limitation programs offered to address exceptional unemployment conditions (Sec. 3.c-1).

• Alleges the coronavirus 2019 (COVID) pandemic negatively affected the economic health of the state in part because it led to higher unemployment rates; that the United States Government instituted extraordinary federal unemployment programs to assist states with their economic recovery, and Arkansas voluntarily participated in those federally funded programs; that Arkansas's economy is recovering, and the state's unemployment rate has decreased; that employers in this state have tens of thousands of job vacancies that need to be filled; that the continuation of these extraordinary federal unemployment programs could interfere with the ability of employers to fill job vacancies and complete the state's economic recovery; and that this act is immediately necessary because the state needs to return its unemployment compensation system to normal functioning to safeguard the progress the state has made and to complete the state's economic recovery, which is in the best interest of all Arkansans (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals involvement with the federal unemployment benefits program.

Highlights:

• Alleges the legislature intends to accomplish the following (Sec. 1):

• Concur with and approve the Governor’s decision stated in his letter dated May 7, 2021, to the Director of the Division of Workforce Services terminating the State of Arkansas’s participation in:

• The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program;

• The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program;

• The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program;

• The Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation program;

• The Emergency Unemployment Relief for Governmental Entities and Nonprofit Organizations program; and

• The Temporary Full Federal Funding of the First Week of Compensable Regular Unemployment for States with No Waiting Week program; and

• Concur with and approve the notice of intent to terminate the Agreement Implementing the Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act between the United States Department of Labor and the State of Arkansas.

• Requires the Director of the Division of Workforce Services shall take all appropriate steps to reduce and prevent unemployment, to encourage and assist in the adoption of practical methods of vocational training, retraining, and vocational guidance, to investigate, recommend, advise, and assist in the establishment and operation by municipalities, counties, planning districts, school districts, and the state of programs for public works to be used in times and places of economic downturn and high unemployment (Sec. 2.a).

• Requires the Director of the Division of Workforce Services to cooperate with the United States Department of Labor to the fullest extent consistent with the law and may take such action, through the adoption of such appropriate rules, administrative methods, and standards as may be necessary to secure to this state and its citizens all advantages available (Sec. 3.a).

• Specifies this law does not mandate the director to participate in, nor preclude the director from ceasing to participate in, any voluntary, optional, special, or emergency program offered by the United States Government, including without limitation programs offered to address exceptional unemployment conditions (Sec. 3.c-1).

• Alleges the coronavirus 2019 (COVID) pandemic negatively affected the economic health of the state in part because it led to higher unemployment rates; that the United States Government instituted extraordinary federal unemployment programs to assist states with their economic recovery, and Arkansas voluntarily participated in those federally funded programs; that Arkansas's economy is recovering, and the state's unemployment rate has decreased; that employers in this state have tens of thousands of job vacancies that need to be filled; that the continuation of these extraordinary federal unemployment programs could interfere with the ability of employers to fill job vacancies and complete the state's economic recovery; and that this act is immediately necessary because the state needs to return its unemployment compensation system to normal functioning to safeguard the progress the state has made and to complete the state's economic recovery, which is in the best interest of all Arkansans (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text