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Show Lislature Passes Model ' Unemployment Insurance ,ra session of me Twenty-"; Twenty-"; eefilslatre Is now hta-Dttlt hta-Dttlt chapter dedicated SSd captioned In letters added social security for 3je of the state. ; hv Governor Henry H. ' tlvene on August 24th for enacting a law that ,' iPie workers to obtain un- .nt insurance and compen-out compen-out of a Job. thelegls-T thelegls-T JSmed four days later af-Utah af-Utah in the front rank n co-operating wlQi the ' F , Government's social securi- tnsn. A day later the un-!(; un-!(; ?S passed bUl had become a (Se suture of the chief, flelr prompt but well consid-' consid-' xXn the legislators establish-' establish-' ' enviable record for bustness-' bustness-' aid efficient lawmaking that - j federal social security auth-:i auth-:i 'f. to declare they had given t fthe "model unemployment in-.:; in-.:; jaw enacted in the nation Their action In accepting j " p-mr Blood's mandate against ' ration of other legislation at i nine, was likewise generally and 3'- eaily acclaimed. C:: f) an authority than Dr. 5, Harper, regional director ie social Security Board, as-' as-' fed that enactment of the new , pves Utah distinction In that jjj Mw qualified to receive all ' Cble benefits under the federal K security program, including for the needy aged, the needy '. ( snd dependent children. ccident with his praise for the . (r enacted unemployment in- 1 E3 ; ce law as meeting all federal cements, Dr. Harper declared iO'J ; that Utah was to be highly com mended for its extremely capable administration of those portions of the National Security Act which had already been In effect in the State "Utah is in the very forefront of the states in the nation which are co-operating with the national government gov-ernment in giving their citizens benefits accruing under the Social Security program," said Dr. Harper "Utahns are also to be commended for the spirit of co-operation exhibited ex-hibited by employers and employees In paving toe way for enactment of the unemployment compensation measure." Anticipating the establishment in Salt Lake City, soon, of a regional office to supervise varied phases of the program, Dr. Harper further stated that the federal government planned by 1942 to have an old age pension system established on a basis ba-sis of the right of persons more than 65 years old to receive pensions ranging from $10.00 to $80.00 per month. He explained that the federal government was now making old I age grants on a 50-50 basis by the state, font that it was felt that this I program should be enlarged. The 'office to be opened in Salt' Lake City will take a census of all persons in the state of over 65 years of age. Utah ranks as the eighth state in the union to receive all the benefits under the National Social Security Act. Prompt action by state officials headed by Governor Blood, enabled it to procure funds for the needy aged and blind and dependent children chil-dren within a few weeks after the national measure became effective. Receipt of the earliest possible benefits bene-fits under the new unemployment insurance law are also assured. Jt that legal technical advisors of the National Social Se- Zll ,td have te authorities in drafting the Utah unemployment un-employment Insurance law and gave it intensive study before final enactment, en-actment, is believed to indicate that there will be no hesitancy in Washington, Wash-ington, D. c, to give the statute prompt approval. This means that the various provisions may be made operative soon. Benefits will be available to the insured in 1938. j Dr. Harper is commenting on the Utah law just enacted, declared the Interests of both industry and labor to be fully served and safeguarded under it. and that its non-political features are especially noteworthy. "The successful operation of the act will demand to a great degree upon the competence and efficiency of the personnel charged with its administration, said the regional director. di-rector. "No person who is an official offi-cial or committee member of any party organization can be employed under its provisions." It was brought out that by passage pass-age of the law, Utah, for the first time, takes advantage of the financial finan-cial aid afforded by the Federal Wagner-Peyser bill which makes possible the establishment of a state-Iwide state-Iwide system of public employment ( offices. Approval by the Federal Board of the new law is followed immediately by the providing of suf-I suf-I f icient funds for its administration. The first day of the extra session was taken up largely with discussions discus-sions on procedure in both legislative legisla-tive houses, following the adoption of the necessary resolutions providing provid-ing session expenses, swearing in of new upper and lower house members, mem-bers, and paving the way for consideration con-sideration of the insurance bill. A joint resolution of condolence addressed ad-dressed to the family of Representative Represen-tative Elmer Holdaway of Vineyard, who died recently, was adopted. Consideration of the bill brought but few controversies although some changes had been requested in public pub-lic hearings held in 'both senate and house. These, however, were quickly disposed of when the general sentiment senti-ment became apparent that general amendments or changes should be avoided as much as possible and dependence de-pendence placed upon the bill's drafters, draf-ters, who had spent months in study and consideration of the various provisions and how the best results might be achieved. Thus the printed bill as presented to both houses became a law with but minor changes. As passed,- it provides that employers of four or more persons will pay into the unemployment un-employment insurance fund, a payroll pay-roll tax of one per cent for 1936, retroactive re-troactive to January 1st. In 1937 the tax will be two per cent of payrolls pay-rolls and in 1938, three per cent, the maximum payment. To be eligible for insurance benefits, bene-fits, an employee must have been employed 13 months. The average wage under which benefits are paid is computed at $28.00 per week. If he becomes unemployed, his share of the reserve insurance fund established establish-ed is $14.00 a week for not more than 14 weeks. If an employee is laid off or discharged dis-charged for just cause, such as violation vio-lation of rules or failure to perform the normal duties of his job properly, proper-ly, he is not entitled to compensation. compensa-tion. If he maintains that he became be-came unemployed without just cause, he may appeal for a review of his case. On becoming unemployed, the ex-employee ex-employee should notify the nearest of the state employment offices heretofore established. He then goes on a waiting list for two weeks while his case is being investigated and the employment office seeks a new job for him. The job sought must be within reasonable distance of his home, the type of work he can reasonably perform, and the pay comparable to that received before. If no job can be found and the investigation proves him eligible, the out-of-a-job man begins to receive unemployment compensation in a sum based on his previous salary. The minimum is $7.00 per week, or three-fourths the weekly wage, whichever is the lesser. His benefits cease when a job is found for him by the Employment Office at which he registered, or at the end of the maximum 14 weeks. |