SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A bill moving through the Alabama Legislature would make it harder to qualify for unemployment compensation by increasing job search requirements.
House Bill 29, sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville), would require people receiving unemployment benefits to contact at least five potential employers each week, up from the current requirement of three, which was set in 2022.
The proposed increase would not apply to counties with fewer than 20,000 people. According to the 2020 Census, 22 of Alabama’s 67 counties fall into that category.
Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), speaking in support of the bill during a Senate committee hearing, said other states have adopted similar requirements. “What’s the harm in providing a fourth and fifth application into finding a job?” Orr said. “Because we can’t sustain people staying on unemployment forever.”
Opponents argue the bill would make it harder for vulnerable people to access support. Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D-Birmingham) pointed out barriers like lack of public transportation and high childcare costs. “You may live at one end of the county but the job may be at the other end,” she said.
David Stout, a lobbyist for Alabama Arise, also spoke against the bill. “It’s not going to help people who are looking for work,” Stout said. “And you’re going to force more people off of those rolls that are presently drawing unemployment compensation.”
Alabama currently provides a maximum of $275 per week in unemployment benefits for 14 to 20 weeks. To qualify, recipients must be able and available for work and unemployed through no fault of their own.
The bill has passed the House and was approved by a Senate committee, positioning it for a final vote in the Senate.
