DE HB351

Authorizes the Governor to appoint additional members to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board as needed to handle increased appeal volumes from unemployment, pandemic emergency unemployment compensation, extended benefits, or pandemic unemployment assistance claims, with appointees serving one-year terms.

Removes the requirement that no more than 3 Board members belong to the same political party, allowing greater flexibility in appointments during the pandemic response period.

Increases the meeting compensation cap for the Board Chairperson from 80 meetings per year at $200 per meeting and other Board members from 80 meetings per year at $150 per meeting without stated new limits.

Suspends and defers the payment of extended duration benefits under state law to the extent necessary to ensure eligible individuals receive federal pandemic emergency unemployment compensation benefits authorized by the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) and maximize federal reimbursement.

Section 1 of the Act expires on June 30, 2021, making the Board expansion provisions temporary in response to the pandemic emergency.