Letter to John P. Pallasch, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training - RELEASE: Members of Arkansas Delegation Ask Labor Department for Clarity on Unemployment for Arkansans

Letter

Dear Secretary Pallasch:

We write to express our concerns regarding the lack of U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
guidance to assist states with administering the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
authorized in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136)
in response to the current 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

As many businesses close to adhere to social distancing policies, employees and owners
of those companies are experiencing hardship from lost income. The State of Arkansas is
working diligently to ensure that Arkansans adversely affected by COVID-19 are able to provide
for their basic needs and sustain their families during this critical time. As legislated in the
CARES Act, PUA will help bridge the gap between what a worker would receive as a paycheck
and the amount that states offer in unemployment benefits.

However, states across the country, including Arkansas, are experiencing severe
difficulties as they work to process the huge influx of applications they have received. Further,
especially in Arkansas, they are unable to process any claims at all for certain classes of wage
earners, including sole proprietors and independent contractors, because DOL has yet to provide
guidance on how to comply with the PUA provisions enacted in the CARES Act.

In light of this substantial burden on affected Americans and overwhelmed state offices,
it is imperative that DOL provide this guidance to states in a timely manner.

We thank you for your continued diligence to help our offices serve vulnerable
Arkansans. With your help, we can positively affect the lives of those living in Arkansas and
other states struggling in this unprecedented crisis. Thank you again for your consideration. We
look forward to working with you to address this important issue.

Sincerely,