Summary:

 House Bill 249 (HB 249):  This bill amends Section 51-1-5 of the New Mexico Unemployment Compensation Law to allow the Secretary of Workforce Solutions to waive the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits when there is a federal or state emergency or disaster declaration. 

Legislation Overview:

 House Bill 249 (HB 249):  Waiver of the One-Week Waiting Period
•	Current Law: An unemployed individual must typically wait one week (the “waiting period”) before receiving benefits.
•	In Subsection A (4), the bill adds that in the event of a federal or state emergency or disaster declaration, the Secretary of Workforce Solutions may waive this one-week waiting period.
•	This bill does not recommend any other changes to eligibility.
All other existing eligibility requirements in Section 51-1-5 remain in effect, such as:
•	Registration for work.
•	Ability to work, availability for work, and active job-seeking.
•	Having sufficient wages in the claimant’s base period.
Purpose of this bill:
The intent is to ensure that during a recognized emergency or disaster, impacted individuals can receive unemployment benefits sooner, rather than waiting for a week, thereby providing critical, timely financial support.
Here is the final critical point of this bill:
•	If the Governor (state declaration) or the President (federal declaration) declares an emergency or disaster, the Secretary of Workforce Solutions has the authority to speed up benefit payments by removing the standard waiting week requirement.
 

Current Law:

 States, an unemployed individual must typically wait one week (the “waiting period”) before receiving benefits, provided that in the event of a federal or state emergency or disaster declaration, the secretary may waive the one-week waiting period requirement. A week shall not be counted as a week of unemployment.