In this Capitol Report:
Labor and Employment Council Votes to Oppose SB 233
The Colorado Chamber’s Labor and Employment Council voted this week to oppose Senate Bill 233, which would establish a “left-behind workers program” to provide unemployment insurance to undocumented immigrants who become unemployed through no fault of their own.
The bill would dedicate funds for left behind workers into a third party fund to help those workers who have lost their jobs.
Employers are already facing massive unemployment insurance premium increases in the coming years due to recent legislation to bring the UI Fund back to solvency as well as the financial strains of the pandemic. There are concerns that language in SB 233 could potentially risk compliance with Title III of the Social Security Act, and various other programs administered within federal law.
The bill was assigned to the Senate Business, Labor & Technology Committee and is awaiting a hearing.
Federal Paid Leave Tax Credit Available for COVID-19 Vaccinations
This week the Biden Administration announced a new paid leave tax credit for small- and medium-sized businesses to provide full pay for their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination or recover from side effects.
The tax credit applies to businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees, self-employed individuals, and government employers other than the federal government.
The paid leave tax credit will offset the costs for eligible employers for up to 80 hours of paid sick or family leave (i.e. 10 work days) up to $511 per day between April 1 and September 30, 2021.