House Bill 0109c1
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HBs 109 & 31
By the Committee on Business Development & International
Trade and Representatives Bitner, Starks, Fasano, Constantine
and Lynn
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 s. 443.101, F.S.;
7 clarifying provisions relating to
8 disqualification for benefits; amending s.
9 443.111, F.S.; extending for a specified period
10 a temporary increase in the maximum weekly and
11 yearly benefit amounts for unemployment
12 compensation benefits; specifying benefit
13 years; amending s. 443.231, F.S.; providing an
14 extension for the Florida Training Investment
15 Program; providing an effective date.
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17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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19 Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 97-29, Laws of
20 Florida, is amended to read:
21 Section 1. Notwithstanding section 443.131(3), Florida
22 Statutes, for the 2000 1998 calendar year or any quarter
23 thereof, the division shall subtract 0.5 percent from each
24 employer's assigned tax rate, except for those employers who
25 are assigned the initial rate or who have been assigned a
26 contribution rate of 5.4 percent or higher for more than 36
27 months. Notwithstanding section 443.131(2), Florida Statutes,
28 for the 2000 1998 calendar year, each employer whose
29 employment record has been chargeable with benefit payments
30 for less than eight calendar quarters shall pay contributions
31 at the initial rate of 2 percent.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HBs 109 & 31
170-853-99
1 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
2 443.101, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
3 443.101 Disqualification for benefits.--An individual
4 shall be disqualified for benefits:
5 (1)(a) For the week in which he or she has voluntarily
6 left his or her work without good cause attributable to his or
7 her employing unit or in which the individual has been
8 discharged by his or her employing unit for misconduct
9 connected with his or her work, if so found by the division.
10 The term "work," as used in this paragraph, means any work,
11 whether full-time, part-time, or temporary.
12 1. Disqualification for voluntarily quitting shall
13 continue for the full period of unemployment next ensuing
14 after he or she has left his or her full-time, part-time, or
15 temporary work voluntarily without good cause and until such
16 individual has earned income equal to or in excess of 17 times
17 his or her weekly benefit amount; the term "good cause" as
18 used in this subsection includes shall include only such cause
19 as is attributable to the employing unit or which consists of
20 illness or disability of the individual requiring separation
21 from his or her work. No other disqualification may be
22 imposed. An individual shall not be disqualified under this
23 subsection for voluntarily leaving temporary work to return
24 immediately when called to work by the permanent employing
25 unit that temporarily terminated his or her work within the
26 previous 6 calendar months.
27 2. Disqualification for being discharged for
28 misconduct connected with his or her work shall continue for
29 the full period of unemployment next ensuing after having been
30 discharged and until such individual has become reemployed and
31 has earned income not less than 17 times his or her weekly
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HBs 109 & 31
170-853-99
1 benefit amount and for not more than 52 weeks that which
2 immediately follow such week, as determined by the division in
3 each case according to the circumstances in each case or the
4 seriousness of the misconduct, pursuant to rules of the
5 division enacted for determinations of disqualification for
6 benefits for misconduct.
7 Section 3. Subsection (3) and paragraph (a) of
8 subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are
9 amended to read:
10 443.111 Payment of benefits.--
11 (3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.--An individual's "weekly
12 benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one twenty-sixth
13 of the total wages for insured work paid during that quarter
14 of the base period in which such total wages paid were the
15 highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275 $250. For
16 claims with benefit years beginning January 1, 2000 July 1,
17 1997, through December 31, 2000 1997, an additional 5 percent
18 of the weekly benefit amount shall be added for the first 8
19 compensable weeks of benefits paid, not to exceed $288 $262.
20 For benefit years beginning January 1, 1998, an individual's
21 "weekly benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one
22 twenty-sixth of the total wages for insured work paid during
23 that quarter of the base period in which such total wages paid
24 were the highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275. For
25 claims with benefit years beginning January 1, 1998, through
26 June 30, 1998, an additional 5 percent of the weekly benefit
27 amount shall be added for the first 8 compensable weeks of
28 benefits paid, not to exceed $288. Such weekly benefit amount,
29 if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward to the
30 nearest full dollar amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount
31 in effect at the time the claimant establishes an individual
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HBs 109 & 31
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1 weekly benefit amount shall be the maximum benefit amount
2 applicable throughout the claimant's benefit year.
3 (5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.--
4 (a)1. Any otherwise eligible individual shall be
5 entitled during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits
6 equal to 25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not
7 to exceed $7,150 $6,500. For claims with benefit years
8 beginning January 1, 2000 July 1, 1997, through December 31,
9 2000 1997, an additional amount equal to 5 percent of the
10 weekly benefit amount multiplied by 8 shall be added to the
11 calculated total amount of benefits, the sum of which may not
12 exceed $7,254 $6,596. For benefit years beginning January 1,
13 1998, any otherwise eligible individual shall be entitled
14 during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits equal to
15 25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not to
16 exceed $7,150. For claims with benefit years beginning January
17 1, 1998, through June 30, 1998, an additional amount equal to
18 5 percent of the weekly benefit amount multiplied by 8 shall
19 be added to the calculated total amount of benefits, the sum
20 of which may not exceed $7,254. However, such total amount of
21 benefits, if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward
22 to the nearest full dollar amount. Such benefits shall be
23 payable at a weekly rate no greater than the weekly benefit
24 amount.
25 2. For the purposes of this subsection, wages shall be
26 counted as "wages for insured work" for benefit purposes with
27 respect to any benefit year only if such benefit year begins
28 subsequent to the date on which the employing unit by whom
29 such wages were paid has satisfied the conditions of this
30 chapter with respect to becoming an employer.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 CS/HBs 109 & 31
170-853-99
1 Section 4. Subsection (8) of section 443.231, Florida
2 Statutes, is amended to read:
3 443.231 Florida Training Investment Program.--The
4 Florida Training Investment Program is designed to extend
5 additional benefit eligibility to dislocated workers
6 throughout Florida who have lost their jobs, have limited
7 marketable skills, and enroll in vocational training intended
8 to lead to employment in a recognized occupation for which
9 there is labor market demand. Pursuant thereto:
10 (8) TERMINATION.--The Florida Training Investment
11 Program shall terminate on June 30, 2002 1999. No benefits
12 shall be paid under this program to any dislocated worker for
13 training that occurs after June 30, 2002 1999.
14 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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