An Act To Help the Unemployed Find Work
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1033
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: PARRY, CUSHING, LOCKMAN, SANDERSON, SIROCKI, VOLK, MASON
Amends: 26 MRSA §1192, 26 MRSA §1194

Legislative Document 
No. 1033 
H.P. 728 
House of Representatives, March 14, 2013 
An Act To Help the Unemployed Find Work 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative PARRY of Arundel. 
Cosponsored by Senator CUSHING of Penobscot and 
Representatives: LOCKMAN of Amherst, SANDERSON of Chelsea, SIROCKI of 
Scarborough, VOLK of Scarborough, Senator: MASON of Androscoggin. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §1192, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2011, c. 645, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
2.  Has registered for work. The individual has registered for work at, and continued 
to report at, an employment office in accordance with rules the commission adopts, 
except that the commission may, by rule, waive or alter either or both of the requirements 
of this subsection as to individuals attached to regular jobs and as to such other types of 
cases or situations with respect to which the commission finds that compliance with the 
requirements would be oppressive, or would be inconsistent with the purposes of this 
chapter. A rule under this subsection may not conflict with section 1191, subsection 1. 
The individual must actively seek work each week in which a claim for benefits is filed 
unless the individual is participating in approved training under subsection 6 or work 
search has been waived in accordance with rules adopted by the commission and provide 
evidence of work search efforts in a manner and form as prescribed by the commission. 
Failure to provide required work search documentation results in a denial of benefits in 
accordance with section 1194, subsection 2 for the week or weeks for which no 
documentation was provided unless the commission determines there is good cause for 
the individual's failure to comply with this requirement;. 
In addition to the other requirements of this section, after receiving 13 times the 
individual's weekly benefit amount in a benefit year the individual must also register to 
work with a temporary employment agency.  The commission may, by rule, waive or 
alter this requirement as necessary to accommodate hardship associated with this 
requirement for individuals not residing in reasonable proximity to a temporary 
employment agency.  For purposes of this subsection, "temporary employment agency" 
means an employer that provides opportunities for individuals to perform work of a 
temporary nature for other employers; 
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §1194, sub-§14 is enacted to read: 
14.  Gaps in benefits.  A claimant who has received benefits and subsequently 
discontinued filing for benefits for a period of time may initiate a new claim for benefits 
within the same benefit year.  The new claim is effective for both the week in which the 
claimant is initiating the new claim and the prior week. 
SUMMARY 
This bill creates a requirement that in order for an individual to maintain eligibility 
for unemployment benefits after receiving 13 times the individual's weekly benefit 
amount in a benefit year, the individual must register for temporary employment through 
a temporary employment agency.  This bill also provides that a new claim for 
unemployment benefits for a claimant who has stopped filing for benefits and then begins 
again within the same benefit year is effective for both the week in which the claimant 
files and the prior week.