Senate Bill 1760c1
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1760
By the Committee on Commerce and Economic Opportunities and
Senator McKay
310-1840A-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to unemployment compensation;
3 amending s. 1, ch. 97-29, Laws of Florida;
4 extending for an additional year a temporary
5 reduction in certain contribution rates for
6 specified employers; amending 443.101, F.S.;
7 clarifying provisions relating to
8 disqualification for benefits; amending s.
9 443.111, F.S.; extending for an additional year
10 a temporary increase in the maximum weekly and
11 yearly benefit amounts for unemployment
12 compensation benefits; specifying benefit
13 years; providing an effective date.
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15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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17 Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 97-29, Laws of
18 Florida, is amended to read:
19 Section 1. Notwithstanding section 443.131(3), Florida
20 Statutes, for the 1998 and 1999 calendar years year or any
21 quarter thereof, the division shall subtract 0.5 percent from
22 each employer's assigned tax rate, except for those employers
23 who are assigned the initial rate or who have been assigned a
24 contribution rate of 5.4 percent or higher for more than 36
25 months. Notwithstanding section 443.131(2), Florida Statutes,
26 for the 1998 and 1999 calendar years year, each employer whose
27 employment record has been chargeable with benefit payments
28 for less than eight calendar quarters shall pay contributions
29 at the initial rate of 2 percent.
30 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
31 443.101, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1760
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1 443.101 Disqualification for benefits.--An individual
2 shall be disqualified for benefits:
3 (1)(a) For the week in which he or she has voluntarily
4 left his or her work without good cause attributable to his or
5 her employing unit or in which the individual has been
6 discharged by his or her employing unit for misconduct
7 connected with his or her work, if so found by the division.
8 The term "work," as used in this paragraph, means any work,
9 whether full-time, part-time, or temporary.
10 1. Disqualification for voluntarily quitting shall
11 continue for the full period of unemployment next ensuing
12 after he or she has left his or her full-time, part-time, or
13 temporary work voluntarily without good cause and until such
14 individual has earned income equal to or in excess of 17 times
15 his or her weekly benefit amount; "good cause" as used in this
16 subsection shall include only such cause as is attributable to
17 the employing unit or which consists of illness or disability
18 of the individual requiring separation from his or her work.
19 No other disqualification may be imposed. An individual shall
20 not be disqualified under this subsection for voluntarily
21 leaving temporary work to return immediately when called to
22 work by the permanent employing unit that temporarily
23 terminated his or her work within the previous 6 calendar
24 months.
25 2. Disqualification for being discharged for
26 misconduct connected with his or her work shall continue for
27 the full period of unemployment next ensuing after having been
28 discharged and until such individual has become reemployed and
29 has earned income not less than 17 times his or her weekly
30 benefit amount and for not more than 52 weeks which
31 immediately follow such week, as determined by the division in
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1760
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1 each case according to the circumstances in each case or the
2 seriousness of the misconduct, pursuant to rules of the
3 division enacted for determinations of disqualification for
4 benefits for misconduct.
5 Section 3. Subsection (3) and paragraph (a) of
6 subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are
7 amended to read:
8 443.111 Payment of benefits.--
9 (3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.--An individual's "weekly
10 benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one twenty-sixth
11 of the total wages for insured work paid during that quarter
12 of the base period in which such total wages paid were the
13 highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275 $250. For
14 claims with benefit years beginning July 1, 1998 1997, through
15 June 30, 1999 December 31, 1997, an additional 5 percent of
16 the weekly benefit amount shall be added for the first 8
17 compensable weeks of benefits paid, not to exceed $288 $262.
18 For benefit years beginning January 1, 1998, an individual's
19 "weekly benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one
20 twenty-sixth of the total wages for insured work paid during
21 that quarter of the base period in which such total wages paid
22 were the highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275. For
23 claims with benefit years beginning January 1, 1998, through
24 June 30, 1998, an additional 5 percent of the weekly benefit
25 amount shall be added for the first 8 compensable weeks of
26 benefits paid, not to exceed $288. Such weekly benefit amount,
27 if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward to the
28 nearest full dollar amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount
29 in effect at the time the claimant establishes an individual
30 weekly benefit amount shall be the maximum benefit amount
31 applicable throughout the claimant's benefit year.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1760
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1 (5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.--
2 (a)1. Any otherwise eligible individual shall be
3 entitled during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits
4 equal to 25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not
5 to exceed $7,150 $6,500. For claims with benefit years
6 beginning July 1, 1998 1997, through June 30, 1999 December
7 31, 1997, an additional amount equal to 5 percent of the
8 weekly benefit amount multiplied by 8 shall be added to the
9 calculated total amount of benefits, the sum of which may not
10 exceed $7,254 $6,596. For benefit years beginning January 1,
11 1998, any otherwise eligible individual shall be entitled
12 during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits equal to
13 25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not to
14 exceed $7,150. For claims with benefit years beginning January
15 1, 1998, through June 30, 1998, an additional amount equal to
16 5 percent of the weekly benefit amount multiplied by 8 shall
17 be added to the calculated total amount of benefits, the sum
18 of which may not exceed $7,254. However, such total amount of
19 benefits, if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward
20 to the nearest full dollar amount. Such benefits shall be
21 payable at a weekly rate no greater than the weekly benefit
22 amount.
23 2. For the purposes of this subsection, wages shall be
24 counted as "wages for insured work" for benefit purposes with
25 respect to any benefit year only if such benefit year begins
26 subsequent to the date on which the employing unit by whom
27 such wages were paid has satisfied the conditions of this
28 chapter with respect to becoming an employer.
29 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1760
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1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 1760
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4 This committee substitute provides a reduction in unemployment
compensation taxes paid by certain businesses for calendar
5 year 1999, and clarifies disqualification of benefits for
voluntarily quitting full-time, part-time or temporary work.
6 The committee substitute provides a weekly benefit increase of
five percent for one year, beginning July 1, 1998, with a $288
7 maximum weekly benefit. The committee substitute also
provides for one year, an increase of five percent in the
8 amount of total annual benefits allowed, beginning July 1,
1998, with a $7,254 maximum total annual benefit.
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