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Content Last Revised: 7/25/88
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CFR  

Code of Federal Regulations Pertaining to ETA

Title 20  

Employees' Benefits

 

Chapter V  

Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor

 

 

Part 615  

Extended Benefits In the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program


20 CFR 615.8 - Provisions of State law applicable to claims.

  • Section Number: 615.8
  • Section Name: Provisions of State law applicable to claims.

    (a) Particular provisions applicable. Except where the result would 

be inconsistent with the provisions of the Act or this part, the terms 

and conditions of the applicable State law which apply to claims for, 

and the payment of, regular compensation shall apply to claims for, and 

the payment of, Extended Benefits. The provisions of the applicable 

State law which shall apply to claims for, and the payment of, Extended 

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

    (1) Claim filing and reporting;

    (2) Information to individuals, as appropriate;

    (3) Notices to individuals and employers, as appropriate;

    (4) Determinations, redeterminations, and appeal and review;

    (5) Ability to work and availability for work, except as provided 

otherwise in this section;

    (6) Disqualifications, including disqualifying income provisions, 

except as provided by paragraph (c) of this section;

    (7) Overpayments, and the recovery thereof;

    (8) Administrative and criminal penalties;

    (9) The Interstate Benefit Payment Plan;

    (10) The Interstate Arrangement for Combining Employment and Wages, 

in accordance with part 616 of this chapter.

    (b) Provisions not to be applicable. The State law and regulations 

shall specify those of its terms and conditions which shall not be 

applicable to claims for, or payment of, Extended Benefits. Among such 

terms and conditions shall be at least those relating to--

    (1) Any waiting period;

    (2) Monetary or other qualifying requirements, except as provided in 

Sec. 615.4(b); and

    (3) Computation of weekly and total regular compensation.

    (c) Terminating disqualifications. A disqualification in a State 

law, as to any individual who voluntarily left work, was suspended or 

discharged for misconduct, gross misconduct or the commission or 

conviction of a crime, or refused an offer of or a referral to work, as 

provided in sections 202(a) (4) and (6) of the Act--

    (1) As applied to regular benefits which are not sharable, is not 

subject to any limitation in sections 202(a) (4) and (6);

    (2) As applied to eligibility for Extended Benefits, shall require 

that the individual be employed again subsequent to the date of the 

disqualification before it may be terminated, even though it may have 

been terminated on other grounds for regular benefits which are not 

sharable; and if the State law does not also apply this provision to the 

payment of what would otherwise be sharable regular benefits, the State 

will not be entitled to a payment under the Act and Sec. 615.14 in 

regard to such regular compensation; and

    (3) Will not apply in regard to eligibility for Extended Benefits in 

a subsequent eligibility period.

    (d) Classification and determination of job prospects. (1) As to 

each individual who files an initial claim for Extended Benefits (or 

sharable regular compensation), the State agency shall classify the 

individual's prospects for obtaining work in his/her customary 

occupation within a reasonably short period, as ``good'' or ``not 

good,'' and shall promptly (not later than the end of the week in which 

the initial claim is filed) notify the individual in writing

of such classification and of the requirements applicable to the 

individual under the provisions of the applicable State law 

corresponding to section 202(a)(3) of the Act and this part. Such 

requirements shall be applicable beginning with the week following the 

week in which the individual is furnished such written notice.

    (2) If an individual is thus classified as having good prospects, 

but those prospects are not realized by the close of the period the 

State law specifies as a reasonably short period, the individual's 

prospects will be automatically reclassified as ``not good'' or 

classified as ``good'' or ``not good'' depending on the individual's job 

prospects as of that date.

    (3) Whenever, as part of a determination of an individual's 

eligibility for benefits, an issue arises concerning the individual's 

failure to apply for or accept an offer of work (sections 

202(a)(3)(A)(i) and (F) of the Act and paragraphs (e) and (f) of this 

section), or to actively engage in seeking work (sections 

202(a)(3)(A)(ii) and (E) of the Act and paragraph (g) of this section), 

a written appealable determination shall be made which includes a 

finding as to the individual's job prospects at the time the issue 

arose. The reasons for allowing or denying benefits in the written 

notice of determination shall explain how the individual's job prospects 

relate to the decision to allow or deny benefits.

    (4) If an individual's job prospects are determined in accordance 

with the preceding paragraph (3) to be ``good,'' the suitability of work 

will be determined under the standard State law provisions applicable to 

claimants for regular compensation which is not sharable; and if 

determined to be ``not good,'' the suitability of work will be 

determined under the definition of suitable work in the State law 

provisions corresponding to sections 202(a)(3) (C) and (D) of the Act 

and this part. Any determination or classification of an individual's 

job prospects is mutually exclusive, and only one suitable work 

definition shall be applied to a claimant as to any failure to accept or 

apply for work or seek work with respect to any week.

    (e) Requirement of referral to work. (1) The State law shall 

provide, as required by section 202(a)(3)(F) of the Act and this part, 

that the State agency shall refer every claimant for Extended Benefits 

to work which is ``suitable work'' as provided in paragraph (d)(4) of 

this section, beginning with the week following the week in which the 

individual is furnished a written notice of classification of job 

prospects as required by paragraphs (d)(1) and (h) of this section.

    (2) To make such referrals, the State agency shall assure that each 

Extended Benefit claimant is registered for work and continues to be 

considered for referral to job openings as long as he/she continues to 

claim benefits.

    (3) In referring claimants to available job openings, the State 

agency shall apply to Extended Benefit claimants the same priorities, 

policies, and judgments as it does to other applicants, except that it 

shall not restrict referrals only to work at higher skill levels, prior 

rates of pay, customary work, or preferences as to work or pay for 

individuals whose prospects of obtaining work in their customary 

occupations have been classified as or determined to be ``not good.''

    (4) For referral purposes, any work which does not exceed the 

individual's capabilities shall be considered suitable work for an 

Extended Benefit claimant whose job prospects have been classified as or 

determined to be ``not good'', except as modified by this paragraph (e).

    (5) For Extended Benefit claimants whose prospects of obtaining work 

in their customary occupations have been classified as or determined to 

be ``not good'', work shall not be suitable, and referral to a job shall 

not be made, if--

    (i) The gross average weekly remuneration for the work for any week 

does not exceed the sum of the individual's weekly benefit amount plus 

any supplemental unemployment benefits (SUB) (as defined in section 

501(c)(17)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) payable to the 

individual,

    (ii) The work is not offered in writing or is not listed with the 

State employment service,

    (iii) The work pays less than the higher of the minimum wage set in 

section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, without regard 

to any exemption, or any applicable State or local minimum wage, or

    (iv) Failure to accept or apply for the work would not result in a 

denial of compensation under the provisions of the applicable State law 

as defined in Sec. 615.2(o)(7).

    (6) In addition, if the State agency classifies or determines that 

an individual's prospects for obtaining work in his/her customary 

occupation within a reasonably short period are ``good,'' referral shall 

not be made to a job if such referral would not be made under the State 

law provisions applicable to claimants for regular benefits which are 

not sharable, and such referrals shall be limited to work which the 

individual is required to make a ``systematic and sustained effort'' to 

search for as defined in Sec. 615.2(o)(8).

    (7) For the purposes of the foregoing paragraphs of this paragraph 

(e), State law applies regarding whether members of labor organizations 

shall be referred to nonunion work in their customary occupations.

    (8) If the State law does not also apply this paragraph (e) to 

individuals who claim what would otherwise be sharable regular 

compensation, the State will not be entitled to payment under the Act 

and Sec. 615.14 in regard to such regular compensation.

    (f) Refusal of work. (1) The State law shall provide, as required by 

section 202(a)(3)(A)(i) of the Act and this part, that if an individual 

who claims Extended Benefits fails to accept an offer of work or fails 

to apply for work to which he/she was referred by the State agency--

    (i) If the individual's prospects for obtaining work in his/her 

customary occupation within a reasonably short period are determined to 

be ``good,'' the State agency shall determine whether the work is 

suitable under the standard State law provisions which apply to 

claimants for regular compensation which is not sharable, and if 

determined to be suitable the individual shall be ineligible for 

Extended Benefits for the week in which the individual fails to apply 

for or accept an offer of suitable work and thereafter until the 

individual is employed in at least four weeks with wages from such 

employment totalling not less than four times the individual's weekly 

benefit amount, as provided by the applicable State law; or

    (ii) If the individual's prospects for obtaining work in his/her 

customary occupation are determined to be ``not good,'' the State agency 

shall determine whether the work is suitable under the applicable State 

law provisions corresponding to sections 202(a)(3) (C) and (D) of the 

Act and paragraphs (e)(5) and (f)(2) of this section, and if determined 

to be suitable the individual shall be ineligible for Extended Benefits 

for the week in which the individual fails to apply for or accept an 

offer of suitable work and thereafter until the individual is employed 

in at least four weeks with wages from such employment totalling not 

less than four times the individual's weekly benefit amount, as provided 

by the applicable State law.

    (2) For an individual whose prospects of obtaining work in his/her 

customary occupation within the period specified by State law are 

classified or determined to be ``not good,'' the term ``suitable work'' 

shall mean any work which is within the individual's capabilities, 

except that work shall not be suitable if--

    (i) The gross average weekly remuneration for the work for any week 

does not exceed the sum of the individual's weekly benefit amount plus 

any supplemental unemployment benefits (SUB) (as defined in section 

501(c)(17)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) payable to the 

individual,

    (ii) The work is not offered in writing or is not listed with the 

State employment service, or

    (iii) The work pays less than the higher of the minimum wage set in 

section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, without regard 

to any exemption, or any applicable State or local minimum wage,

    (iv) Failure to accept or apply for the work would not result in a 

denial of compensation under the provisions of the applicable State law 

as defined in Sec. 615.2(o)(7).

    (3) For the purposes of the foregoing paragraphs of this paragraph 

(f), State law applies regarding whether members of labor organizations 

shall be referred to nonunion work in their customary occupations.

    (4) If the State law does not also apply this paragraph (f) to 

individuals who claim what would otherwise be sharable regular 

compensation, the State will not be entitled to payment under the Act 

and Sec. 615.14 in regard to such regular compensation.

    (g) Actively seeking work. (1) The State law shall provide, as 

required by sections 202(a)(3) (A)(ii) and (E) of the Act and this part, 

that an individual who claims Extended Benefits shall be required to 

make a systematic and sustained effort (as defined in Sec. 615.2(o)(8)) 

to search for work which is ``suitable work'' as provided in paragraph 

(d)(4) of this section, throughout each week beginning with the week 

following the week in which the individual is furnished a written notice 

of classification of job prospects as required by paragraphs (d)(1) and 

(h) of this section, and to furnish to the State agency with each claim 

tangible evidence of such efforts.

    (2) If the individual fails to thus search for work, or to furnish 

tangible evidence of such efforts, he/she shall be ineligible for 

Extended Benefits for the week in which the failure occurred and 

thereafter until the individual is employed in at least four weeks with 

wages from such employment totalling not less than four times the 

individual's weekly benefit amount, as provided by the applicable State 

law.

    (3)(i) A State law may provide that eligibility for Extended 

Benefits be determined under the applicable provisions of State law for 

regular compensation which is not sharable, without regard to the active 

search provisions otherwise applicable in paragraph (g)(1) of this 

section, for any individual who fails to engage in a systematic and 

sustained search for work throughout any week because such individual 

is--

    (A) Serving on jury duty, or

    (B) Hospitalized for treatment of an emergency or life-threatening 

condition.

    (ii) The conditions in (i) (A) and (B) must be applied to 

individuals filing claims for Extended Benefits in the same manner as 

applied to individuals filing claims for regular compensation which is 

not sharable compensation.

    (4) For the purposes of the foregoing paragraphs of this paragraph 

(g), State law applies regarding whether members of labor organizations 

shall be required to seek nonunion work in their customary occupations.

    (5) If the State law does not also apply this paragraph (g) to 

individuals who claim what would otherwise be sharable regular 

compensation, the State will not be entitled to payment under the Act 

and Sec. 615.14 in regard to such regular compensation.

    (h) Information to claimants. The State agency shall assure that 

each Extended Benefit claimant (and claimant for sharable regular 

compensation) is informed in writing--

    (1) Of the State agency's classification of his/her prospects for 

finding work in his/her customary occupation within the time set out in 

paragraph (d) as ``good'' or ``not good,''

    (2) What kind of jobs he/she may be referred to, depending on the 

classification of his/her job prospects,

    (3) What kind of jobs he/she must be actively engaged in seeking 

each week depending on the classification of his/her job prospects, and 

what tangible evidence of such search must be furnished to the State 

agency with each claim for benefits, and

    (4) The resulting disqualification if he/she fails to apply for work 

to which referred, or fails to accept work offered, or fails to actively 

engage in seeking work or to furnish tangible evidence of such search 

for each week for which Extended Benefits or sharable regular benefits 

are claimed, beginning with the week following the week in which such 

information is furnished in writing to the individual.
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