THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

244

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the department of labor and industrial relations to establish a registry of creative artist gig workers to enable the workers to access unemployment benefits through the pandemic unemployment assistance program.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, freelancers, independent contractors, gig workers, and other self-employed individuals who are out of work typically would not qualify for regular unemployment benefits; and

 

WHEREAS, during the COVID-19 pandemic, these workers have been afforded the opportunity to apply for relief through a new program established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program; and

 

     WHEREAS, eligibility for weekly unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program depends on a number of factors, one of which includes work history; and

 

     WHEREAS, creative artist gig workers may not have the necessary work history requirements to qualify for relief through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is urged to establish a registry of creative artist gig workers to enable the workers to access unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, for purposes of this registry, a "creative artist gig worker" is a person who creates art in any medium and receives compensation on a per piece, per project, or per event basis for that art; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the registry allow creative artist gig workers to use their general excise tax license and related filings to establish eligibility for unemployment benefits; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Taxation is requested to collaborate with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in the establishment of a registry of creative artist gig workers; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, and Director of Taxation.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance; Creative Artist Gig Worker; General Excise Tax License; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.