Legislation would provide help in accessing unemployment benefits

Sponsored by Rep. Mike Obermueller, DFL-Eagan, HF2781 is the House’s omnibus workforce development policy bill. Approved by the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, the bill awaits action by the House Finance Committee.

One provision would require each of the state’s 47 workforce centers to have at least one staff member on hand to answer questions about unemployment insurance. Another would create a staff of 10 unemployment benefit specialists who could correct errors on benefit applications and help applicants avoid having to go through an appeals process.

The bill would also make it more difficult for employers to deny a benefit claim because of employee misconduct, and extend benefit eligibility to some temporary staffing agency workers who choose not to keep taking temp jobs.

The bill also covers a variety of other policy changes relating to the Employment and Economic Development and Labor and Industry departments.

Nick Busse writes for Session Daily, the online publication of the Minnesota House, where this article originally appeared.