Bill > HB274

This bill makes several significant changes to Pennsylvania's Unemployment Compensation Law, focusing on three main areas: job search requirements, domestic violence protections, and unemployment benefit calculations. First, the bill strengthens job search requirements by mandating that claimants make good faith efforts to obtain employment, prohibiting actions that might discourage their own hiring (such as refusing to attend interviews), and allowing employers to report instances where claimants intentionally undermine their job prospects. Second, the bill introduces a new provision enabling individuals experiencing domestic violence to qualify for unemployment benefits if they leave their job due to safety concerns, with confidential verification methods that include protective orders, professional statements, or self-affirmation. Third, the bill modifies how unemployment benefits are calculated, changing the method for determining "highest quarterly wages" and adjusting the percentage of total base year wages used in benefit calculations, with different rules applying based on the state's unemployment trust fund trigger percentage. The bill also requires the Department of Labor and Industry to consult with victim advocacy groups when implementing the domestic violence provisions, ensuring sensitive and supportive implementation. Different sections of the bill will take effect at different times, ranging from immediately to up to three years after passage.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs, Labor and Employment

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=274