OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – A bill that requires the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) to create an online jobs center is headed to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk.
House Bill 3595, written by Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, and Sen. Jerry Alvord, R-Wilson, passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Thursday with a 69-9 vote. It passed the Senate with amendments with a 37-7 vote in late April. It originally passed the House in early March with an 82-13 vote.
The bill not only requires OESC to create an online jobs center, it also requires Oklahomans who are applying for unemployment benefits to create an account within the online jobs center.
Claimants will also be required to take a skills test and add a resume to the online jobs center.
“House Bill 3595 presents an opportunity to streamline job matching, empower job seekers and close the hiring gap in Oklahoma,” Hill said. “Through this measure, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission can better connect individuals with employment opportunities while ensuring accountability in the unemployment benefits system. This legislation marks a proactive step towards a more efficient and effective job market for all Oklahomans.”
HB 3595 gives OESC authority to require claimants to apply to a minimum number of jobs. Failure to apply or participate would result in benefit termination for a full period of unemployment. OESC is required to verify the eligibility of claims filed and may cross-check state and national databases to verify eligibility.
“It’s a real compliment to an agency anytime the state decides to codify current business practices into law. That’s what this bill does, it makes current procedures into requirements for the future,” said OESC CEO Trae Rahill. “That operating stability, paired with the improved partner coordination we’re building now, will enable the agency to better serve the state’s economic needs.”
HB 3595 would go into effect on Nov. 1 if signed into law.
“With this measure we are modernizing our approach to anti-fraud measures that will benefit Oklahoma employees without burdening claimants,” Alvord said. “In fact, the anti-fraud measures in this bill have been recommended by both republican and democrat administrators. HB 3595 strengthens job search opportunities for individuals applying for and receiving unemployment benefits and contains robust protections to stop waste, fraud, and abuse.”
