HB 2140 -- Unemployment Benefits

Co-Sponsors:  Secrest, Chrismer, Gross, Marble, Pouche, Hartzler
(124), Loudon, Patek, Bennett, Scott

This bill changes construction of the employment security laws
to "impartial" from "liberal" and adds as a means of
accomplishing the stated goal of promoting employment security,
increasing equal treatment of all employees and employers by the
Labor and Industrial Relations Commission by equal consideration
of all evidence presented to it.

Under current law, a person is not eligible for unemployment
benefits for any week during which the person was suspended by
an employer for misconduct connected with work.  This bill also
disallows unemployment benefits if the person was terminated
from work by an employer for misconduct.  The bill includes in
the interpretation of "misconduct connected with work" any
professionally administered and documented positive chemical
test result for a controlled substance if (1)  the person's work
is related to heavy equipment or places the public at risk,
including but not limited to operation of planes, trains, boats,
and motor vehicles; or (2)  the employer's written policy so
provides.