Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey on Thursday praised the unanimous passage of the Unemployment Insurance Accountability Act of 2012 (
Senate Bill 3658) by the state Senate.
“A true jobs agenda is compromised of elements that help both job creators and job seekers. Government cannot create jobs but it can help remove burdens from employers and aid the unemployed find work. This bill does both,” said Lt. Governor Ramsey. “Nothing cures both social and economic ills like good paying jobs. This reform will inject accountability and fairness into our unemployment system further nurturing the pro-jobs, pro-business climate for which Tennessee is known.”
Senate Bill 3658 addresses many of the complaints Lt. Governor Ramsey received during his Red Tape Road Trips last summer. The road trips took Ramsey across the state meeting with business owners about how to eliminate red tape from government and make Tennessee the best state in which to own and operate a business. The bill is sponsored by Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin)
“Our state unemployment system was always intended as a bridge from one job to the next for people out of work through no fault of their own,” Senator Johnson said. “By strengthening the work search requirement and the definition of misconduct, we are restoring the intent of the system and making the lives of our small business owners easier. It’s a win for both job seekers and job creators.”
The Unemployment Insurance Accountability Act of 2012 strengthens the definition of employee misconduct to ensure that those who have been fired for cause no longer receive benefits. The act also enacts new work search requirements for unemployment beneficiaries. Those collecting unemployment benefits must provide detailed information regarding contact with at least three employers per week or must access services at a career center. The act also provides for random audits to ensure the integrity of beneficiaries’ job searches.