AN ACT CONCERNING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR PARAEDUCATORS.

HB 7195 amends unemployment benefits to specifically include paraeducators (school support staff like instructional aides) employed by school districts, educational service centers, or charter schools. The bill requires administrators to determine on a case-by-case basis whether paraeducators have "reasonable assurance" of returning to the same job (e.g., via an offer for the next term at 90%+ of prior pay), and if denied benefits due to lack of assurance but no job offer was made, they receive retroactive payments. This directly affects paraeducators during typical school breaks, between academic terms, or during vacation periods when they would otherwise lose eligibility. The change ensures these workers qualify for unemployment benefits when not offered a return to work, aligning their eligibility with broader educational employee protections.