The Senate gave final legislative approval Wednesday to legislation that provides for the completion of updates to the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program’s computer system. The measure now goes to the Governor for enactment.
Senator Dan Laughlin initially voted against the bill when it came before the Senate Labor & Industry Committee on Monday, but voted for it when it came up for the final vote by the full Senate.
“I am more concerned that the unemployed folks in this state can get their benefits in a timely fashion,” said Senator Laughlin. “I was a no vote in committee on it because I didn’t want to fund it for four years. I think if we would have funded it for one year, we would have had a little more control over the actual fix for the system itself. But in the end, I had to vote for it because the people who are laid off deserve their benefits in a timely fashion.”
House Bill 1915 provides a total of $115.2 million in funding over four years for UC operations and technological upgrades and requires the Department of Labor and Industry to end its reliance on transfers into the Service and Infrastructure Improvement Fund.
Governor Wolf shut down three Unemployment Compensation Service Centers (Allentown, Altoona and Lancaster) late last year after the Legislature refused to transfer $57 million into SIIF without receiving assurances that the money was spent responsibly.
Contact: Matt Azeles mazeles@pasen.gov