Bill would reinstate job search requirement

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

Pennsylvania lawmakers are one step closer to passing a bill that would reinstate the commonwealth’s work search and registration requirements to receive unemployment assistance.

House Bill 406, also known as the work-search rule, was passed by the state’s Labor and Industry committee Tuesday.

Work search requirements were suspended by Gov. Tom Wolf last year in response to the increased number of unemployment claims from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wolf has not set a timeline when he will reinstate the requirements, although House Bill 406 would put them back into effect June 8.

The vote Tuesday in the Labor and Industry committee held party lines, with local state Reps. Eric Davanzo, R-South Huntingdon, and Mike Puskaric, R-Finleyville, supporting the bill.

Rep. Nick Pisciottano, D-West Mifflin, voted against it.

The committee’s Republicans said the bill is needed because many business owners are having trouble finding employees since the state included an additional $300 per week in unemployment payments. They say people won’t look for jobs if they don’t need paychecks.

“As I’m hearing from our small businesses, they can’t get anyone to work,” Davanzo said. “People are saying ‘Why would I want to work if I’m making money from unemployment?’ This is all part of the process of getting Pennsylvania in the right direction again. We can’t afford to just sit back right now and be idle. We’re going to start losing people to other states.”

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