Unemployment compensation benefits: hearing procedures.

Existing law creates the Employment Development Department and requires that it pay unemployment compensation benefits to individuals who meet specified requirements, are unemployed, as defined, and file a valid claim for these benefits. Existing law requires employers to make specified contributions to the Unemployment Fund to finance those benefits and authorizes employers and individual claiming unemployment compensation benefits to appeal determinations of eligibility, among other things. Existing law regulates the hearings of disputed claims, appeals, and petitions and requires the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, among other things, to permit a party or representative to participate in a hearing by telephone upon the party's or representative's request, as specified. This bill would instead require those hearings to be conducted by telephone unless a party or representative requests otherwise pursuant to regulations adopted by the board.