(The Center Square) – A bipartisan bill providing unemployment benefits for domestic violence survivors has cleared the House. The legislation would allow people to submit confidential evidence of abuse to expedite unemployment claims.
A previous version of the bill passed the House and Senate committees but was never brought to the floor for a vote.
Labor and Industry committee chair and the bill’s prime sponsor, Jason Dawkins, D-Philadelphia said this time, “We look forward to seeing this bill get to the governor’s desk.
It was co-sponsored by Republican chair Seth Grove who called it a “very common sense bill.” It received broad approval with a 198-4 vote.
The bill requires victims to self-affirm that they or their family members’ safety would be jeopardized by continued employment. They then have 120 days to provide additional documentation, which can be a statement from a qualified professional, evidence of a protective order, or any other evidence that proves domestic violence has occurred.
Qualified professionals include therapists, case workers, clergy members, medical doctors and others who often encounter those suffering in domestic violence situations. The bill also directs the Department of Labor and Industry to work with the Office of Victim Advocate in implementing the law.
These claims are confidential, but the bill does stipulate that employers will not be charged for the benefits received by domestic violence victims. Employers are not required to file a request for this relief. Rather, it will be granted automatically when a claim is determined to be eligible.
The bill has the potential not only to support survivors in the wake of abuse but to take one tactic away from abusers who use financial leverage to keep their victims in a relationship.
According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, economic independence is one of the biggest predictors of whether a victim will be able to maintain separation from their abuser. They say 99% of domestic violence cases involve economic abuse.
