SACRAMENTO – Senate Bill 227, which will secure unemployment benefits for excluded immigrant workers in California, passed out of the California State Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee Wednesday with strong support.

Many California workers do not have access to unemployment benefits solely due to their immigration status. The new legislation, introduced by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, will provide temporary wage replacement for undocumented workers who have lost their jobs. The Safety Net for All Coalition is also calling on state officials to include a companion budget proposal as a priority in this year's state budget. 

Selected Quotes Regarding Safety Net for All Advancing:

• Senator María Elena Durazo: "Our brothers, sisters and siblings who have made California the 4th largest economy in the world – the essential labor force for companies that pay into our unemployment system for everyone else – are the workers who have paid with their lives to work during the pandemic and other disasters because they did not qualify for unemployment insurance and saw no other choice to put food on their tables. This vote is an important step toward creating a stronger and more resilient economy, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to ensure that all California workers have access to critical safety net benefits when they become unemployed."

• Erica Zermeno, Center for Workers' Rights: “SB 227 will provide an essential resource to undocumented working families. It is a matter of fairness to have undocumented workers access unemployment benefits that they pay into. Thank you to the workers who testified at today’s Senate Labor Committee hearing. And thank you to the Senate Labor Committee members for passing this important piece of legislation.”

• Francisco Ventura, Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño: “Por más de 25 años he estado haciendo diferentes trabajos del campo aquí en el estado de California: desde la cosecha de naranjas, tomates, moras azules, y hasta la cosecha de uvas para el vino. California tiene una industria enorme de uva para vino y trabajadores inmigrantes como yo hacemos que esto sea posible. Necesitamos el Acta de Red De Seguridad Para Todos para tener un respaldo en las temporadas de invierno.”

About Safety Net for All Coalition

The Safety Net for All Coalition is composed of over 169 organizations from across California. The Coalition works to expand safety net programs for excluded immigrant workers, like the unemployment benefits program.  Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.