§1600. Benefit eligibility conditions

            An unemployed individual shall be eligible to receive benefits only if the administrator finds that:

            (1) He has made a claim for benefits in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 23:1621 and R.S. 23:1622.

            (2)(a) The individual has done both of the following:

            (i) Registered for work.

            (ii) Continued to report in accordance with such regulations prescribed by the administrator.

            (b) The administrator may, by regulation, waive or alter either or both of the requirements of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph as to such types of cases or situations with respect to which he finds that compliance with such requirements would be oppressive, or would be inconsistent with the purposes of this Chapter; but no such regulation shall conflict with R.S. 23:1591.

            (3)(a) All of the following apply:

            (i) The individual is able to work.

            (ii) The individual is available for work.

            (iii) The individual is actively seeking work by conducting no fewer than five work search actions for each week in which he makes a claim for benefits. The administrator shall, by regulation, prescribe the actions which shall be considered valid work search actions.

            (b)(i) For the purpose of this Section, a claimant has satisfied the requirements of making an active search for work if he is pursuing a course of action to become reemployed as contained in his eligibility review and reemployment assistance plan approved by the administrator and consistent with Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph. The reemployment assistance plan shall not contain factors which, when judged on the basis of reasonableness for a similarly unemployed worker to follow, would be contrary to the individual's interest, taking into account the claimant's qualifications for work, the distance of his residence from employing establishments, his prior work history, and current labor market conditions related to his normal and customary occupation.

            (ii) The claimant shall have satisfied the requirement for an active search for work if he has a reemployment assistance plan, is a paid-up union member of a recognized craft union, and is, and continues to be, available to his union for referrals to job openings listed with his union. To reflect his availability for work with his union, he shall report to the hiring hall of his union at least once each week and maintain evidence of having done so by securing a union officer's signature on his unemployment booklet each week when he reports as able and available for work. If the domicile of the paid-up member of a craft union is located in excess of twenty miles round trip from his union office, the member shall call his union office at least once a week to reflect his availability for work.

            (iii) An unemployment booklet shall be maintained by the claimant for review of his continuing eligibility by employment security representatives as evidence of his continuing search for work. The claimant shall have satisfied this requirement if he is partially employed by an employer subject to the Louisiana Employment Security Law and holds himself available for reemployment at his last place of work; or, if he is on temporary layoff from his regular work and holds himself available for reemployment at his last place of work.

            (iv) Repealed by Acts 1992, No. 453, §1.

            (4) He has been unemployed for a waiting period of one week. No week shall be counted as a week of unemployment for the purpose of this Subsection:

            (a) Unless it occurs within the benefit year which includes the week with respect to which he claims payment of benefits.

            (b) If benefits have been paid with respect thereto.

            (c) Unless the individual was eligible for benefits with respect thereto as provided in this Section and in R.S. 23:1601, except for the requirements of this Paragraph and Paragraph (5) of R.S. 23:1601.

            (5) He has during his base period been paid wages for insured work equal to at least one and one-half times the wages paid to him in that calendar quarter in which his wages were the highest. For the purposes of this Subsection, wages shall be counted as "wages for insured work" for benefit purposes with respect to any benefit year only if such benefit year begins subsequent to the date on which the employing unit, by which such wages were paid, became an employer within the meaning of any provision of this Chapter.

            (6)(a) Benefits based on service in employment defined in R.S. 23:1472(12)(F)(I) (II), (IV), and (VII) shall be payable in the same amount, on the same terms and subject to the same conditions as benefits payable on the basis of other services subject to this Act; except that:

            (i) With respect to service performed in an instructional, research, or principal administrative capacity for any educational institution, including institutions of higher education and local public school systems, benefits shall not be paid based on such service for any week of unemployment commencing during the period between two successive academic years, or during a similar period between two regular but not successive terms, or during a period of paid sabbatical leave provided for in the individual's contract, to any individual if such individual performs such services in the first of such academic years (or terms) and if there is a contract or a reasonable assurance that such individual will perform services in any such capacity for any educational institution in the second of such academic years or terms. The provisions of this Paragraph shall include any service performed in an instructional, research, or principal administrative capacity including service performed by a temporary or uncertified teacher or instructor.

            (ii) With respect to services performed in any other capacity for an educational institution, including crossing guards, whether employed by a school board or another political subdivision of the state, benefits shall not be paid to any individual on the basis of such services for any week which commences during a period between two successive academic years or terms if such individual performs such services in the first of such academic years or terms and there is a letter of assurance that such individual will perform such services in the second of such academic years or terms, except that if compensation is denied to any individual under this Subparagraph and such individual was not offered an opportunity to perform such services for the educational institution for the second of such academic years or terms, such individual shall be entitled to a retroactive payment of compensation for each week for which the individual filed a timely claim for compensation and for which compensation was denied solely by reason of this clause.

            (iii) With respect to any services described in clause (i) or (ii) compensation payable on the basis of such services shall be denied to any individual for any week which commences during an established and customary vacation period or holiday recess if such individual performs such services in the period immediately before such vacation period or holiday recess, and there is a reasonable assurance that such individual will perform such services in the period immediately following such vacation period or holiday recess.

            (iv) With respect to any services described in clause (i) or (ii), compensation payable on the basis of services in any such capacity shall be denied as specified in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) to any individual who performed such services in any educational institution, while in the employ of an educational service agency, or to any crossing guards, whether employed by a school board or another political subdivision of the state, and for this purpose the term "educational service agency" means a governmental agency or governmental entity which is established and operated exclusively for the purpose of providing such services to one or more educational institutions.

            (b) Benefits shall not be paid to any individual on the basis of any services, substantially all of which consist of participating in sports or athletic events or training or preparing to so participate, for any week which commences during the period between two successive sport seasons or similar periods if such individual performed such services in the first of such seasons or similar periods and there is a reasonable assurance that such individual will perform such services in the later of such seasons or similar periods.

            (c)(I) Benefits shall not be paid on the basis of service performed by an alien unless the alien is an individual who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time the services were performed, was lawfully present for purposes of performing such services or otherwise is permanently residing in the United States under color of law at the time such services were performed including an alien who is lawfully present in the United States as a result of the application of the provisions of Section 203(a)(7)* or Section 212(d)(5)** of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

            (II) Any data or information required of individuals applying for benefits to determine whether benefits are not payable to them because of their alien status shall be uniformly required from all applicants for benefits.

            (III) In the case of an individual whose application for benefits would otherwise be approved, no determination that benefits to such individual are not payable because of his alien status shall be made except upon a preponderance of the evidence.

            (7) With respect to weeks of unemployment, wages for insured work shall include wages paid for previously uncovered services. For the purposes of this Subsection, the term "previously uncovered services" means services:

            (a) Which were not employment as defined in Section 1472(12) of this Chapter and were not services covered pursuant to Sections 1573, 1574, and 1575 of this Chapter, at any time during one-year period ending December 31, 1975; and

            (b)(1) Which is agricultural labor (as defined in Section 1472(12)(F)(V) of this Title) or domestic service (as defined in Section 1472(12)(F)(VI) of this Title); or

            (2) Which are services performed by an employee of a political subdivision of this state, as provided in Section 1472(12)(F)(I) of this Title, or by an employee of a nonprofit educational institution which is not an institution of higher education, as provided in Section 1472(12)(F)(II) of this Title, except to the extent that assistance under Title II of the Emergency Jobs and Unemployment Assistance Act of 1974*** was paid on the basis of such services.

            (8)(a) An individual filing a new claim for unemployment compensation shall, at the time of filing such claim, disclose whether or not the individual owes child support obligations as defined under R.S. 23:1693(G). If any such individual discloses that he or she owes child support obligations and is determined to be eligible for unemployment compensation, the administrator shall notify the state or local child support enforcement agency enforcing such obligation that the individual has been determined to be eligible for unemployment compensation.

            (b) This Paragraph applies only if appropriate arrangements have been made for reimbursement by the state or local child support enforcement agency for the administrative costs incurred by the administrator under this Paragraph which are attributable to child support obligations being enforced by the state or local child support enforcement agency.

            Amended by Acts 1991, No. 1050, §1, eff. July 29, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 447, §1, eff. June 20, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 453, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1172, §4, eff. June 30, 1997; Acts 2001, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 4, §1, eff. March 27, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 510, §1, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2014, No. 349, §1; Acts 2025, No. 151, §1, eff. Dec. 31, 2025; Acts 2025, No. 478, §7, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.

*8 U.S.C.A. §1153(a)(7).

**8 U.S.C.A. §1182(d)(5).

***See note under 26 U.S.C.A. §3304.