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1997 SESSION

978431127
HOUSE BILL NO. 1924
Offered January 8, 1997
A BILL for the relief of Denise V. Siegfeldt.
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Patrons-- Behm and Diamonstein
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Referred to Committee on Claims
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Whereas, Denise V. Siegfeldt was employed as an assistant professor at Troy State University, Virginia Region, which is located at the Norfolk Naval Base; and

Whereas, Troy State University's main campus is in Alabama; and

Whereas, On June 10, 1992, Ms. Siegfeldt was asked to sign her Virginia Region employment contract; and

Whereas, Ms. Siegfeldt signed the contract, but asked to negotiate certain items normally set forth in a teaching contract such as number of classes to be taught; and

Whereas, the Virginia Region Director (Ms. Siegfeldt's boss) would not negotiate the items in the contract and advised Ms. Siegfeldt that her contract would go to another Troy State University employee relocating from Cuba; and

Whereas, Ms. Siegfeldt applied to the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) for unemployment compensation; and

Whereas, there was no record of Ms. Siegfeldt in the VEC computer system even though Ms. Siegfeldt lived in Virginia, paid Virginia taxes, and had always worked in Virginia; and

Whereas, the VEC suggested that Ms. Siegfeldt contact Alabama's VEC equivalent; and

Whereas, Ms. Siegfeldt did contact Alabama's VEC equivalent and was told that she was not an Alabama employee; and

Whereas, Alabama did ultimately give Ms. Siegfeldt $1,280 in unemployment compensation; and

Whereas, the Virginia Region Director contacted Alabama's VEC equivalent and protested the award to Ms. Siegfeldt; and

Whereas, a telephone hearing was held on the matter during which the Virginia Region Director indicated Ms. Siegfeldt quit rather than being terminated; and

Whereas, Alabama's VEC equivalent wrote to Ms. Siegfeldt and asked that the money she received be returned; and

Whereas, Ms. Siegfeldt returned to VEC which determined that she did not quit and awarded her $2,737 in unemployment compensation; and

Whereas, Ms. Siegfeldt used a portion of this money to repay Alabama; and

Whereas, the Virginia Attorney General's Office determined that Troy State University, Virginia Region, was erroneously paying employer tax in Virginia; and

Whereas, as a result of the Attorney General's determination, VEC determined that Ms Siegfeldt was not entitled to unemployment compensation from Virginia and demanded that she return the $2,737; and

Whereas, Denise V. Siegfeldt has no other means to obtain relief except by action of this body; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That there is hereby allocated from the general fund appropriation to the Virginia Employment Commission the sum of $2,737 for the relief of Denise V. Siegfeldt. Upon execution by Denise V. Siegfeldt of a release of all claims she may have against the Commonwealth or any agency, instrumentality, officer, employee or political subdivision thereof, in connection with the aforesaid occurrence, the State Treasurer on warrant of the Comptroller shall direct the Virginia Employment Commission to cease all efforts to collect the sum of $2,737 from Ms. Siegfeldt.