HOUSE BILL 597

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

George Dodge, Jr.

AN ACT

RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION; PROVIDING BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS FOR CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE SESSION EMPLOYEES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Unemployment Compensation Law is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTAIN TEMPORARY LEGISLATIVE SESSION EMPLOYEES.--

          A. As used in this section, "temporary legislative session employee" means an individual who has been employed by the New Mexico legislative branch but who has not been so employed for more than six consecutive months of the previous twelve months or nine of the previous twelve months.

          B. The following benefit eligibility conditions apply to a temporary legislative session employee:

                (1) except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this subsection, a temporary legislative session employee shall be ineligible for a week of unemployment benefits that commences during a period between two regular sessions of the legislature unless the individual establishes to the satisfaction of the secretary that the individual is available for and is making an active search for permanent full-time work; and

                (2) a temporary legislative session employee who has been employed by the New Mexico legislative branch during two successive regular sessions of the legislature shall be presumed to be unavailable for permanent new work during any period beginning after a regular session of the legislature that the individual was employed as a temporary legislative session employee and ending at the commencement of the next regular session of the legislature."

     SECTION 2. APPLICABILITY OF ACT.--The provisions of this act apply to determinations of eligibility and benefit amounts for unemployment compensation claims initially filed on or after July 1, 2011.

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