HARRISBURG – The PA House approved bipartisan legislation to expedite unemployment benefits for domestic violence victims. Under current law, people who had to quit their jobs as the result of a domestic violence situation are only eligible for unemployment compensation after a lengthy process. House Bill 274 would speed up the process for claims when an applicant provides documentation of a domestic violence situation. When documentation is approved, the claimant would be eligible for benefits should all other qualifications also be met. The measure also permits employers to receive automatic relief from charges for these claims. Bill sponsor, York County Rep. Seth Grove said victims have been forced to quit their jobs because their abusers know where they work and have turned up there to do them harm. Being forced to stop working at no fault of their own is not cause to wait a long period of time to receive unemployment benefits, especially when, in most cases, the victim had leave home with very little or nothing. The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
REP. SETH GROVE