Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Honorable Claude A. Williams

Chairman and Executive Director

Texas Unemployment Compensation Austin, Texas

Dear Slr:

Your letter requesting

Mona is self-explanatory and re

"1. Under Subssct

iole 5221b-4 (b) Vernon Texae; 1925) the inltia ner results in an

benefit periods.

decision of then The Commission reveraee the A ws~no benefits.

the deolsion no bensilts.

At the time

asue the iour remaining y the examiner and the nt having previously filed "2. Under the same facts stated above, assume‘ that there was no appeal to the court from the COm- mlselon decision of .'no benefits.' Would the same answer which you have given to the previous qUSStiOU apply to this situation?

Honr Claude A. Williams, page 9

'5. Doer the language 0r the laet sentence 0r SMion 0 (b) mean that the Cotiarlon (titting ae an appeal body in a benefit oaae) or the court, In an appeal to it In a benefit ease, hae jurisdlo- tlon, after the granting of benefits both by the ox- aminer, or deputy, and the Appeal Tribunal, only to doone that no emplo;ler*aaooount ahall be oharged wit&the 'benefit8 80 paid, or dose that jurisdiotlon go to the whole ease?

*4. 3n a situation wherein the examiner hae allowed benerits and hia deoialon has been arl'lrmed by the Appeal Tribunal, appeal having been perrooted through the Co~iaslon and to. the courts, does the denial oi benefits by the aourt dlapo8e of all right . to benefit&i on the part of the olafmant during h.ie benefit year aa eet up by the examiner and as de- fined in the Aot ar Subsection 19 (b) [Z)?

"5. Dow your anaww to Question .Ao. 4 apply llkew$Sto ruoh~tinal deofelon of the Gommls~loa denying benefits, no appeal to the courts havfng been taken?

~'0; In a benefit aaee pending rlthln the&ma- mia~ion the CorPliaaion approve, an,attorney~.afee or #l!& ior olaimant* 6’ attornpy, proridlm@ thiht u\oh~fae.atill~k )iXL&O ii appeal la taken.to'tho OOUrt& Trial is had.on appeal to the County: Boa&.

bnetitr~ to the.plaln- att~ornoy*e feea,,& of~the reoonzy. Subseotloa'lS- (b) (Artlole SfSlb-18 (b Y. It. C.:b Tar. ,399S) limit the juriadiotlon oiethe oourt $the f&a 0: attornofr,? iark ti3 the iiring of an amount approved b;r the Commlsrlon, Or do’ they ‘op$rate only upoa the attorney wlth'riepect to'hle ohargin(l or reoeiting for hir eervioer more'than the amount approved by the Coni*don."

Beotiona.(a) and (b) of Artiole 52Elb+, Vardon*e Annotat&fairll statutes, read as rollowe:

"(a) Iriling: alaims for benefit8 ohall be made In aooordanoe with suoh regulation8 as the Gem- mieelon may presoribe. Eaoh employar shall poet md maintain printed statementa of suoh regulations In plaoee readily aooeseible to indirlduald in hlr eerv- ice, and shall make available ta eaoh auuah In+ividual at the time he beoomes unemploye& a printed statement *3 Hon. alaud? A. WIlliama, page 3

of such regulations. Suoh printed statements shall be supplied by the Commission to each employer wlth- ou,t ooat to him.

'(b) Initial De$ermlnatlon: A representative designated by the. Cotiission, and hereinafter refer- red to as a deputy, shall proaptly exsmlne the claim and on the basis of the iaota found by him shall el&r determine whettir or not suoh claim ia valid, aid If valid, the date on whioh benefits shall oom- menoe the benefit amount payable and the maximum duration thereof, or shall refer suoh olalm or any question Involved therein to an appeal tribunal or to the Commlsalon, whloh shall make its determinations with reapsot thereto In aooordanoe with the prooedure desoribed lin subsection (0) of this section, exoept that in any oase in whloh the payment or denial of benefit. will be determined by the provision. of Sso- tlon 5 (a) of this Aot the deputy shall promptly transmit his rull finding or faot~wlth respect to 'that subaeotlon to the C0mmlsslon, whioh on the basis of the evldenoe submlttad and such additional evldenoe as it may require, ah&l1 affirm, modify, .or set aside swh $%ndlnga or faot and transmit to the deputy a ;t;plon upon the lsaues involved under the subseo-

l The deptttj shall prollptly notify the olafmant~ and any other lnterea%id party of the dsolsion and the reason8 therefor: Unless the olaimant or any suoh interested party; wIthIn tan (10) calendar day.

after delivery of auoh ntitliioatipn, or wlthln twelve (la) oalendar days attor uoh-notliioatfon was mailed to his last known address, tiles and ap- peal ,fiam such deolalon, suoh deoision shall be final ' and bena~it. shall be paid or denied In aooordanoe therewith. If an appeal ia duly filed, benefit8 with respect to then period prior to the final determina- tion or the %mmia.lon.~.hall be paid only after auoh detarmlnatlon rovided, that it in appeal tribunal affirm. a deo or a deputy, or the~Mmmiaslon sf- ?I=. 8 deolsion or an appeal tribunal. allowing bene-' At.; 8uoh benefit. shall be paid regardless or any vpeal whioh may thereafter be taken. but if! su0h 6 olslon 1. rinal1.y reversed, no employer's ao69unt .iil be oharged with benefits SO paid." (Undersootifng Our.) *4 Ron. Claude A. aillfaas, page 4

Tha above provision provides that when the Appeal Tribunal affirms the daoialon of the deputy which allow. bene- fits, that auoh benatlts shall be paid r.gardlaaa of any appaal whloh may theraatter be taken. This provision undoubtedly was plaoed In the Unemployment dot to insure th. paymen‘t of bsna- fits to an ilrdlvldual with but a minlmum of delay.

The Supram. aourt or ~allfornla Diaou.aa. a a;imllar provlalon of tha California Unamploymant Aot-in the oaae of et al vs. Dintriot Court of Appeal, lW! P. (24) 589, ,Aballaria (109 P. (2d) 948) as follow.:

*The fourth anaweg t. more fundamental; tha mandate oontravenea the &pr.a. provldon of &action 67 that *if a refaree affirm. an Initial. detsnnlna- tlon allowing benatlts, auoh benefit. shall be paid fe$~d+r.a of any appaal whloh may theraart?r be taken

Thi. ls'one 0r the moat signirioant atate-

menta*in the sot. In aubatanoe it provides that when the Initial detonainatlon ha. been reviewed and ap- privad by the intermadi+te appellate authority (the refere.), no furthor delay in payment shall b. per- mitted even though tha l.au.. may.bo. still rurther oonaidared in a l ubaaquant appaal. It w.. dealgned to oarry out the polioy deolared ln..ooti'on 1 of al- leviating the evil. f+unamployment, a. part of a national plan or alolal aaourity.in whloh~f'adaral and state legia&ation la oouplad. 980. le. The vary eaaeno. of th. l ot is its provision for.tho praa&pt payment of benefits t@ thobe unamployed. Se., 88 Univ. Pa. L. Rev,' 157, 139. Any substantial delay would defeat this p&po.. and would brln baak tha very evil sought to be avoldad. Tha leg lature, f recognizing tha lmportanoe on the one hand of avold- ing improvldant payment. without du. oonaldaration of th. rl ht thereto, and the danger on the othar hand or- wf thholding~~tha.paymeata ior long periods through the slow prooeaa.. of appeal to the ocomia- slon and perhaps eventually to the oeurta, took a middle oourae. It provided for a preliminary appeal or ravlaw of the first datarmlnatlon wham payment8 were ordered. This appeal, ordlnarlly deoldad in a abort period or tima oarriaa with it a day. But whan this aeoond daoision has also been made in favor of the applicants, the~benafita begin, with proteo- . . tlon, a. already hoted, for $ha employer in the evant

or later revereal.*

Eon. Wmde A. Willlama,, page 5

Seotiona (h) and (I) of Artiolo &?W,lb-4, Vernon’s Annotated clvll Statutes, pmvie08 *a r0ii0n8:

suob ~~eo~aloh and m&y-be represented in any auoh ju- .#loial aotlon by &my q&allfled attorney who ie,a regu- lar salaried amployee of the C.ommisaion and has bien designated and appointed for that purpose ~bp the At- torneyg t3enoral of Taxaa.

“(I) aourt &vii;rr within ten (i0) dayr ‘aftar the eeoiaion of ‘tha ,Coknlaalon haa bebome ,rlnal any party’aggrlev~d, theMby rag aeoure jtidl?ial &ew thereof by ooprmen~i an notion in anp- ooust 0f,,mm- petant jrirf8diOtlo~ n the oounty of ela&nt*B seai- “‘p,

dmoe against the O.omiauion for the r?,mw’+ it8 dooision, In which a6tioh. any qther p&&y t6~ the pro- 1 before‘-the’:.~Doaaiaaion ,&all be Mae a ,drfimd- oeedin ant. ii uoh trial sh&l.l be de noyo. In .auoh aotlon, . . a petition whldh neid .not Abe verlrled,~ but rhioh ahall

atata the groqda ,upon whioh a revlaw .is~ sought, shall be-m&d. upon a member of the Comm~aaion or ~upon auoh parson a0 the CoPeiirtiioh may designate and such aervi ioe ahall ba deemed’ oompleted servioe on all partier, but there shall be Iett with the party ao served as many ooplea of the petition ae there are defendants and the Coaaiaalon @all forthwlth ~11 one euoh oopy to ,eaoh uoh e8fsneant. Suoh action shall be given preoedenoe over all other 01~11 oases exoept oases arifling under the Worlrmen~a Compansation &IW of this &ate. An appeal may be taken from.the decision of the trial oourt, in the same manner, a8 is provided In other air11 oases, It shall not be neoeaaary, in, any judlolal prooeadlng,under ~thl& aaotlon, to enter exosptlona to the rulings of the ~onsnlaaion and no _ _ _ _-_ _ .- bona’ ahell be requlred for entering such appeal. E

the final determination of iuoh judloial prooeeding %be Commlsalon shall enter an order in aooordanoe w th 1 suoh BetermlnatLon. A petition for jtidloial review ahell not act as- a superse4eas;R (Underscoring oura) *6 Hon. Claude A. Williams, pago 6

The provlrlon of &&ion (b), quoted above,, whiah provide8 that when the Appeal Tribunal ha8 affirmod,tho deputy'8 declsld~'aIrarding beneflt8, they should be paid regardlo, of any appeal, oont8mplato8 that tha individual is elfgib&o and qualified to rocelro auoh bane&its. we find nothfng'inth8 Act which lndlcata8 that the Appeal Tribunal** tiading 18 final on the llurltr of the olaim. To.the contrary, th4'v'hriou8 qt$o- ted provlrionr of Art1018 SSSlb4 indicate8 tjo ,u# that thr Ap- peal Trlbunal'a affirmanoo &the deputy*8 drolslon~o@.~ in- mum8 the qlalmant rodoiring bmoilt8 pending a final deolrion on the que8tion by the Godraion or the court on the nerltr.

3n anewer to your flrrrt and 8ooond quortlon8, we are pi the opinion that th? Commlsdoa la hot authorized to i88u0 benefit oheoka ,rubrrquent to a dsolalon of the Cdrrion or the jud#a&i% of a ooa&t denying benefit.8, ihen said~dooidon or judgwnt i8 final ofi the .rerit6.

In anawot t&your third~queatlon it'foUow8, Ra what we hare horetoto2m mald, that the dacfdon of the-O-18- 8lon~or jud@nent Of *hi court goes to th8 merit& 02 the entire ca8e.

In anawerlag your fourth and firth,quertiotie; we point out t@t sibtioa (i) .oi Irtlola SSSlb4, rnpra, preyldar, that wupon th6~iinal detmmlnation of 8~ch.judiolal proae$dlng, the Ccmmlsrion~ rhall enter.an~ ardor in aooordanoe with ,&aoh &&Or- Blnation.* (

8qotion [@ of dztlole S%?Jb-S prorldom a? tollow~ &otatining tha numbor of boner it per- whiah any l,~dlvidual-I8 entitled to ro- the Comleaion *hail in a,bmWit par daduot any l rlod oi .dG uallfio~tlon a8 provided in a) s (b) and ;P 0) of thin Section from the ,' ~u@I&%o~ tothl numbor of bonoiit period8 during whloh'h8.would

othorwl8o be entitled to reoolvr benrfitr rxorpt.tor aaoh dlrquallfioatlon;~provldad, that fn:no &a!+ rhall ‘arnbrr oi ~anef$t,$eriodr ro.deductgd oxoied 'the ola#zie& I8 numbor ot~b8nefit porioda then llgiblo to reoq%ye ror ~8uoh'dlu- quallflcatloa.* ,i

seotlosi (bj(8j~ of ArUe Sl2lb-17 proride~r ae fallowa: . I-

:

Hon. Claude A. wi1118Dk8, P.&a 7

"(2) 'B4naflt y4ar,* rith raepact to any fndiridtul, 11.4118 th. fifty-two-O.Sm..utiV.-weak pariod b.(lianfa~ with the day an wbloh the firat velid alaim fer hen* i8 fihd and fharaaftar iift~rtWCW06DB..bl- flt8 tlra-w44k period bo$lnaiag with tha day On whioh hla nest valid ala&i for banaritm ia filed after the termi- nation of his lamt praaading benarlt year.*

The Unamployment Act provides that en eligibla m(ll~ ployad tndivldual ia l ntitlad to banefit for a certain numbor Of benaiit pSriO48 Within a benefit year nlll.88 dt8qtraliii.d.

By reamon ot.tb saotionr of the three above quoted ,atetuta. it maem clear that a dl8quallrfoation by tha Commlsaion or a oourt of an indlrldual to receive ~bq4fitB during.the banatit &34riOd8 Of hi8 banarit y48r diEpOE. Of all right8 Of th.~i.n- dividnal to raoelva any baneiitm during that~beneflt year.

Thea anawara your fourth and fifth quaatlons.

In an8w.r to your 8ixth question, we quot. rroa S4e- tion (b) of Artlola S22lb-19, Vernon's Annotated civil Statut~am, 6tB rOiiCW8:

“(b) Lislitition of r4481 No individual oleir- in6 banatitm 8h8ll ,ba @nwgad team ot,aay klnd ,in any th%B,AOt by the l%3ml$88$On Or ,itB ; pro.q.diaag,untj.r rapramantatlvem or;b .~~y oourt or anyoifiobr thereof. Auy lnaividuql cla & ban4fltm in aay,prooaadlng befew tha Coti~84ion or a coprt rhny ba prammtah 'by a osun~al or,,t)taqr eIvy author1e.d .',,nt~ but 50 rd$ mob OOiia84~ or. kg49t.B :Bh411 aithar, 0hfi~~O~o~~~4ceiT4 ror muoh iirvlo48j,*dt4 than an amount approV4d by t&4 1 ~O%Eii08iOll, ~& *tiEan Who riOl.xt48 CUiy pT4T18iOn

ot this wb8.Oti.n 8h.ll iOr..Wh muoh .fiin#q; b4 iin4d not 1.88 than Fii$y ,#$O.QO) ~01&8rB, no= m.rk than fir4 Hundrifl'( aQ..oo 1 DollaM, or impt18~lud iOr not 1er4 @Ul 8 (6) u)athm, 0: b4t&r ~(w- ii l c4Fill$ 4UN,

Th4 bov. l $at8to,olaarly prorldes that'ao attorney OaR OhaL% Or WU.Ot, fOlc ~ti,F 84lTi4. .D .EOdUt lOr4. thsn th.t approv4d by th. ~srmi841OIl, Tti,B pXOV%Bio~,appli.8 ,in thorn. a~848 wh4r4 an in(uflUSl ii 84rkia(r banefit& Silia4 th4 X&- 181titW. ha8 B~Oit1.811;~ehtir~ad 'the ~ORBiBBiOn~dth the p4w.r R. OaIU&Ot 84. any beEi Sf r.~ati~ th0 f4QB Of.8 ttb~.yB, iOr the -0OtWt BUbm%iftUt$ng it8 jud&int for that Of the 00r mi881011.

Eon. Claude A. William, Page 5

In order Bo give aiiaot to Section (b) of Article 5221~1s upra, wo anmwar your sixth question by maying that we are ,Oi th4 Opinion that tha OOtWt ha8 jUri8diOtion to al- b&attOrnrJ f448 only iI the aPOUnt approve+ by CdB-

.

YOU'8 V.4 tNly ATTORNEY GEWBFUL OF TBXA2 APPROVBJJ MARaH 5, 1942 /a/ GrovarS4llars

lT53sl! ASSISTABT

ATTORIOEY GBWRRAL

.