                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

BENEFITS NOT DENIED TO INDIVIDUALS IN TRAINING WITH APPROVAL OF COMMISSION (§
60.2-613)

A. No otherwise eligible individual shall be denied benefits for any week
because he is in training with the approval of the Commission, including
training under &#xA7; 134 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, nor
shall such individual be denied benefits for any week in which he is in training
with the approval of the Commission, including training under &#xA7; 134 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, by reason of the application of the
provisions in subdivision A 7 of &#xA7; 60.2-612 relating to availability for
work, or the provisions of subdivision 3 of &#xA7; 60.2-618 relating to failure
to apply for, or a refusal to accept, suitable work.

B. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, no otherwise eligible
individual shall be denied benefits for any week because he is in training
approved under &#xA7; 2296 of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. &#xA7; 2101 et seq.), nor
shall such individual be denied benefits by reason of leaving work to enter such
training, provided the work left is not suitable employment, or because of the
application to any such week in training of provisions in this law (or any
applicable federal unemployment compensation law), relating to availability for
work, active search for work, or refusal to accept work.

C. For purposes of this section, &#8220;suitable employment&#8221; means, with
respect to an individual, work of a substantially equal or higher skill level
than the individual&#8217;s past adversely affected employment, as defined for
purposes of the Trade Act, and wages for such work at not less than 80 percent
of the individual&#8217;s average weekly wage as determined for the purposes of
the Trade Act.

HISTORY: 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 235, § 60.1-52.1; 1982, c. 237; 1984, c. 204;
1985, c. 152; 1986, c. 480; 1995, c. 436; 2000, c. 687; 2022, c. 668; 2024, cc.
562, 603.