BILL NUMBER: SB 667	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 6, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Jackson

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2015

   An act to amend  Section   Sections 2608 and
 2627 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to
disability.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 667, as amended, Jackson. Disability insurance: eligibility:
waiting period. 
   Under 
    (1)     Under  existing law, a
disabled individual is eligible to receive disability benefits equal
to 1/7 of his or her weekly benefit amount for each full day during
which he or she is unemployed due to a disability if the Director of
Employment Development makes specified findings, including that the
individual has been unemployed and disabled for a waiting period of 7
consecutive days during each disability benefit period. Existing law
provides that during this 7-day waiting period, no disability
benefits are payable.
   This bill would waive the 7-day waiting period for an individual
who has already served the 7-day waiting period  for the initial
claim when that person files a subsequent claim for disability
benefits  for the same or a related condition within 
the previous 60 days.   60 days after the initial
disability benefit period.  The bill would also require the
director to submit a report regarding the effect of the modified
waiting period to the Legislature by January 1, 2020, as specified.

   (2) Existing law provides that if an individual receives 2
consecutive periods of disability benefits due to the same or a
related cause or condition and separated by not more than 14 days,
they are considered as one disability benefit period.  
   This bill would extend to 60 days the time between claims for the
same or related cause or condition to be considered one disability
benefit period. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 2608 of the  
Unemployment Insurance Code   is amended to read: 
   2608.  "Disability benefit period," with respect to any
individual, means the continuous period of unemployment and
disability beginning with the first day with respect to which the
individual files a valid claim for unemployment compensation
disability benefits. For the purposes of this part, two consecutive
periods of disability due to the same or related cause or condition
and separated by a period of not more than  14  
60  days shall be considered as one disability benefit period.
   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.   Section 2627 of
the Unemployment Insurance Code is amended to read:
   2627.  A disabled individual is eligible to receive disability
benefits equal to one-seventh of his or her weekly benefit amount for
each full day during which he or she is unemployed due to a
disability only if the director finds that:
   (a) He or she has made a claim for disability benefits as required
by authorized regulations.
   (b) (1) He or she has been unemployed and disabled for a waiting
period of seven consecutive days during each disability benefit
period with respect to which waiting period no disability benefits
are payable.
   (2) The waiting period requirement shall not apply to a person who
has  already served the seven-day waiting period for the
same or a related condition within the previous 60 days. 
 met the waiting period requirements on the initial claim for
disability benefits when that person files a subsequent claim for
disability benefits for the same or a related cause or condition
within 60 days after the original disability benefit period. 
   (c) Except as provided in Sections 2626.1, 2626.2, and 2709, he or
she has submitted to such reasonable examinations as the director
may require for the purpose of determining his or her disability.
   (d) Except as provided in Section 2708.1, he or she has filed a
certificate as required by Section 2708 or 2709.
   (e) The director shall report to the Legislature regarding the
effect of the modified waiting period in paragraph (2) of subdivision
(b) on or before January 1, 2020, and may submit subsequent reports
thereafter. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section
9795 of the Government Code.