Title
Urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor Tom Wolf to reject House Bill 508, the "Coerce to Work" legislation, intended to end Pennsylvania's participation in three federal pandemic unemployment benefit programs.
Body
WHEREAS, since March 2020, the CARES Act provided 100% federally funded unemployment benefits to jobless Pennsylvanians, which the American Rescue Plan has extended through September 2021; and
WHEREAS, HB 508 would end Pennsylvania's participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, which provides unemployed individuals an extra $300 per week in addition to state-provided unemployment compensation; and
WHEREAS, HB 508 would also end Pennsylvania's participation in the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which has provided during the pandemic unemployment benefits for individuals who are not eligible for traditional state unemployment compensation, like independent contractors or sole-proprietors; and
WHEREAS, HB 508 would also end Pennsylvania's participation in the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which has extended unemployment benefits so that individuals can receive benefits throughout the pandemic; and
WHEREAS, HB 508 would reject these 100% federally-funded unemployment benefits while also diverting American Rescue Plan recovery dollars toward a "Back-to-Work Bonus Program," rather than funding vital services that would lift millions of Pennsylvanians out of poverty; and
WHEREAS, More than one million Pennsylvanians stand to lose unemployment benefits upon the passage of HB 508, and the Commonwealth's economy stands to lose roughly $6.735 billion in consumer spending, or roughly $6,390 per worker through September 6, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Jobless Pennsylvanians have relied on unemployment funds to cover the costs of housing, medical expenses due to lost health care coverage, groceries, or even their phone and car bills; and
WHEREAS, Bl...
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