Colorado Legislative Council Staff

NO FISCAL IMPACT

TITLE:            CONCERNING THE DENIAL OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS TO CERTAIN PERSONS WHO ARE ADDICTED TO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL.

Summary of Assessment

            The provisions of this bill would prohibit the Division of Employment and Training, Department of Labor and Employment, from awarding unemployment insurance compensation benefits to certain persons who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The bill would become effective at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the ninety-day period after adjournment sine die of the General Assembly, or on the date of the official declaration of the vote of the people as proclaimed by the Governor, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to Article V, Section 1 (3) of the State Constitution.

            The provisions of this bill would allow only one full award of benefits to be granted for reasons involving drug or alcohol addiction. The bill also would require a medical doctor or a representative of an approved treatment program, who substantiates that a person has successfully completed a treatment program, to include a determination that the claimant is capable of resuming employment. Under current law, a person can receive more than one award of benefits.

            For the last fiscal year, there were 68 non-monetary determinations issued that allowed benefits involving drug or alcohol addiction. Data are not available to determine how many of the 68 determinations, if any, involved a subsequent award of benefits that would be denied under the provisions of this bill. The department indicated that an extremely low number of claims would be involved. The provisions of the bill would not affect any other agency of the state, or unit of local government. Therefore, this bill is assessed as having no fiscal impact.

Departments Contacted

            Labor and Employment