House Bill 1951

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1951

        By the Committee on Finance & Taxation and Representatives
    Albright, Bitner, Fasano, Brown and Starks





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to unemployment compensation;

  3         amending s. 1, ch. 97-29, Laws of Florida;

  4         directing the Division of Unemployment

  5         Compensation to reduce employers' tax rates for

  6         the year 2000; providing exceptions; providing

  7         a reduced initial tax rate for certain

  8         employers for the year 2000; amending s.

  9         443.101, F.S.; clarifying provisions relating

10         to disqualification for benefits; amending s.

11         443.111, F.S.; providing a temporary increase

12         in the maximum weekly and yearly benefit

13         amounts for unemployment compensation benefits

14         for a specified period; amending s. 443.231,

15         F.S.; providing an extension for the Florida

16         Training Investment Program; providing

17         effective dates.

18

19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

20

21         Section 1.  Section 1 of chapter 97-29, Laws of

22  Florida, is amended to read:

23         Section 1.  Notwithstanding section 443.131(3), Florida

24  Statutes, for the 2000 1998 calendar year or any quarter

25  thereof, the division shall subtract 0.5 percent from each

26  employer's assigned tax rate, except for those employers who

27  are assigned the initial rate or who have been assigned a

28  contribution rate of 5.4 percent or higher for more than 36

29  months. Notwithstanding section 443.131(2), Florida Statutes,

30  for the 2000 1998 calendar year, each employer whose

31  employment record has been chargeable with benefit payments

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1951

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  1  for less than eight calendar quarters shall pay contributions

  2  at the initial rate of 2 percent.

  3         Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

  4  443.101, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  5         443.101  Disqualification for benefits.--An individual

  6  shall be disqualified for benefits:

  7         (1)(a)  For the week in which he or she has voluntarily

  8  left his or her work without good cause attributable to his or

  9  her employing unit or in which the individual has been

10  discharged by his or her employing unit for misconduct

11  connected with his or her work, if so found by the division.

12  The term "work," as used in this paragraph, means any work,

13  whether full-time, part-time, or temporary.

14         1.  Disqualification for voluntarily quitting shall

15  continue for the full period of unemployment next ensuing

16  after he or she has left his or her full-time, part-time, or

17  temporary work voluntarily without good cause and until such

18  individual has earned income equal to or in excess of 17 times

19  his or her weekly benefit amount; the term "good cause" as

20  used in this subsection includes shall include only such cause

21  as is attributable to the employing unit or which consists of

22  illness or disability of the individual requiring separation

23  from his or her work. No other disqualification may be

24  imposed. An individual shall not be disqualified under this

25  subsection for voluntarily leaving temporary work to return

26  immediately when called to work by the permanent employing

27  unit that temporarily terminated his or her work within the

28  previous 6 calendar months.

29         2.  Disqualification for being discharged for

30  misconduct connected with his or her work shall continue for

31  the full period of unemployment next ensuing after having been

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1951

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  1  discharged and until such individual has become reemployed and

  2  has earned income not less than 17 times his or her weekly

  3  benefit amount and for not more than 52 weeks that which

  4  immediately follow such week, as determined by the division in

  5  each case according to the circumstances in each case or the

  6  seriousness of the misconduct, pursuant to rules of the

  7  division enacted for determinations of disqualification for

  8  benefits for misconduct.

  9         Section 3.  Subsection (3) and paragraph (a) of

10  subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are

11  amended to read:

12         443.111  Payment of benefits.--

13         (3)  WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.--An individual's "weekly

14  benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one twenty-sixth

15  of the total wages for insured work paid during that quarter

16  of the base period in which such total wages paid were the

17  highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275 $250. For

18  claims with benefit years beginning January 1, 2000 July 1,

19  1997, through December 31, 2000 1997, an additional 5 percent

20  of the weekly benefit amount shall be added for the first 8

21  compensable weeks of benefits paid, not to exceed $288 $262.

22  For benefit years beginning January 1, 1998, an individual's

23  "weekly benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one

24  twenty-sixth of the total wages for insured work paid during

25  that quarter of the base period in which such total wages paid

26  were the highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275. For

27  claims with benefit years beginning January 1, 1998, through

28  June 30, 1998, an additional 5 percent of the weekly benefit

29  amount shall be added for the first 8 compensable weeks of

30  benefits paid, not to exceed $288. Such weekly benefit amount,

31  if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward to the

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1951

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  1  nearest full dollar amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount

  2  in effect at the time the claimant establishes an individual

  3  weekly benefit amount shall be the maximum benefit amount

  4  applicable throughout the claimant's benefit year.

  5         (5)  DURATION OF BENEFITS.--

  6         (a)1.  Any otherwise eligible individual shall be

  7  entitled during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits

  8  equal to 25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not

  9  to exceed $7,150 $6,500. For claims with benefit years

10  beginning January 1, 2000 July 1, 1997, through December 31,

11  2000 1997, an additional amount equal to 5 percent of the

12  weekly benefit amount multiplied by 8 shall be added to the

13  calculated total amount of benefits, the sum of which may not

14  exceed $7,254 $6,596. For benefit years beginning January 1,

15  1998, any otherwise eligible individual shall be entitled

16  during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits equal to

17  25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not to

18  exceed $7,150. For claims with benefit years beginning January

19  1, 1998, through June 30, 1998, an additional amount equal to

20  5 percent of the weekly benefit amount multiplied by 8 shall

21  be added to the calculated total amount of benefits, the sum

22  of which may not exceed $7,254. However, such total amount of

23  benefits, if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward

24  to the nearest full dollar amount. Such benefits shall be

25  payable at a weekly rate no greater than the weekly benefit

26  amount.

27         2.  For the purposes of this subsection, wages shall be

28  counted as "wages for insured work" for benefit purposes with

29  respect to any benefit year only if such benefit year begins

30  subsequent to the date on which the employing unit by whom

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1951

    696-160A-99






  1  such wages were paid has satisfied the conditions of this

  2  chapter with respect to becoming an employer.

  3         Section 4.  Effective June 30, 1999, subsection (8) of

  4  section 443.231, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  5         443.231  Florida Training Investment Program.--The

  6  Florida Training Investment Program is designed to extend

  7  additional benefit eligibility to dislocated workers

  8  throughout Florida who have lost their jobs, have limited

  9  marketable skills, and enroll in vocational training intended

10  to lead to employment in a recognized occupation for which

11  there is labor market demand. Pursuant thereto:

12         (8)  TERMINATION.--The Florida Training Investment

13  Program shall terminate on June 30, 2002 1999. No benefits

14  shall be paid under this program to any dislocated worker for

15  training that occurs after June 30, 2002 1999.

16         Section 5.  Except as otherwise provided herein, this

17  act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

18

19            *****************************************

20                          HOUSE SUMMARY

21
      Directs the Division of Unemployment Compensation to
22    subtract 0.5 percent from employers' unemployment
      compensation tax rates for the year 2000, with certain
23    exceptions. Provides a reduced initial tax rate of 2
      percent for certain employers for the year 2000.
24    Clarifies provisions relating to disqualification for
      benefits. Provides a temporary increase in the maximum
25    weekly and yearly benefit amounts for unemployment
      compensation benefits for the year 2000. Provides an
26    extension for the Florida Training Investment Program to
      2002.
27

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