This bill amends various sections of Alaska's unemployment compensation laws to improve the efficiency and fairness of benefit payments. Key provisions include a requirement that the Department of Labor cannot delay the payment of approved unemployment benefits due to holidays, along with a penalty of 10% of the benefit amount for each day a payment is late. If a claimant's disqualification is overturned on appeal, benefits must be paid within 24 hours, with the same late payment penalty applying. The bill also mandates the development of a contingency plan for high call volumes at the call center, ensuring that workers are not disqualified for failing to provide information if the call center is overwhelmed. Additionally, it adjusts weekly benefit amounts based on inflation, increases the dependent allowance from $24 to $35 per week, and clarifies conditions for benefit reductions based on earnings.

Further amendments clarify that individuals in approved training programs under the Trade Act of 1974 and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 cannot be denied benefits due to unavailability for work during training. The bill specifies that an insured worker may be disqualified from benefits if their unemployment is due to a labor dispute at their place of employment, and it introduces a new definition of "establishment." It also removes references to "waiting-week credit," indicating a shift towards immediate unemployment benefits, and updates the definition of "claimant" to exclude this term. These changes are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
HB0192A, AM HB 192, introduced 04/14/2025: 23.20.340, 23.20.360, 23.20.362, 23.20.375, 23.20.378, 23.20.387, 23.20.505, 23.20.350, 23.20.135, 23.20.379, 23.20.382, 23.20.383, 23.20.520