Seven-Week Benefits Reprieve for Pa.'s Unemployed

Published: August 4, 2009
KYW News Radio

By Tony Romeo

Pennsylvanians who have exhausted their unemployment will now be in line for seven more weeks of benefits thanks to a bill now on its way to Governor Rendell. 

The seven additional weeks of unemployment benefits will not cost businesses anything -- the tab will be picked up by the federal government.

But over the protests of Democrats, Senate Republicans held the bill up over concerns about costs to state and local governments for their former employees.

So Allegheny County House Democrat Marc Gergley, sponsor of the bill, says the Senate amended the bill before passing it:

“The Senate amended the bill to provide for retroactivity on the bill to July 1st so that all the unemployed folks that have fallen off the rolls -- and I think that number is around 2,800 now – will also be able to collect. So the retroactivity sets that up.”

The House has now concurred in the Senate amendment and Governor Rendell says he’ll sign the bill.