WEST virginia legislature

2022 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 4586

By Delegates Sypolt, Crouse, Jennings, Holstein, Steele, Kimes, Forsht, Tully, Graves, and Mallow

[Introduced February 09, 2022; Referred to the Committee on Workforce Development then Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §21A-6-18, relating to permitting those persons who made the decision to not take the COVID-19 vaccine to be able to collect unemployment benefits dated back to their original date of termination.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 6. EMPLOYEE ELIGIBILITY; BENEFITS.

§21A-6-18. Permitting those persons terminated for COVID-19 vaccine decision to collect unemployment compensation benefits.

Notwithstanding any provision in this article to the contrary, those persons who were terminated, voluntarily dismissed, let go, or otherwise fired because of his or her personal decision to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine shot or booster shot associated therein shall be eligible to collect unemployment compensation benefits in West Virginia. This section also encompasses those persons who have been denied the religious and/or medical exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine.  Individuals who are eligible for unemployment compensation benefits shall have his or her date of eligibility for benefits as the date that he or she was originally terminated for the decision to not take the COVID-19 vaccine. This section is intended to cover only those persons who would otherwise be willing to work, but for his or her personal decision to not take the COVID-19 vaccine or booster shots associated therein.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide unemployment compensation benefits to those persons who were terminated, voluntarily dismissed, let go, or otherwise fired for his or her decision to not take the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.