House Bill 0031
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 31
By Representative Starks
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to unemployment compensation;
3 amending s. 443.036, F.S.; revising a
4 definition for purposes of determining base
5 period; including additional calendar years for
6 purposes of reducing certain tax rates;
7 amending s. 443.111, F.S.; revising
8 determinations of weekly benefit amount and
9 duration of benefits; providing an effective
10 date.
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 443.036, Florida
15 Statutes, as amended by chapter 98-149, Laws of Florida, is
16 amended to read:
17 443.036 Definitions.--As used in this chapter, unless
18 the context clearly requires otherwise:
19 (7) BASE PERIOD.--
20 (a) "Base period" means the first four of the last
21 five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the
22 first day of an individual's benefit year.
23 (b) With respect to a benefit year commencing on or
24 after July 1, 1999, if an individual does not have qualifying
25 wages in his or her base period to qualify for benefits, the
26 division shall designate his or her base period to be the
27 "alternative base period," which means the last four completed
28 calendar quarters immediately preceding the individual's
29 benefit year. If information regarding wages for the calendar
30 quarter or quarters immediately preceding the benefit year is
31 not available to the division from the regular quarterly
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 31
204-187C-99
1 reports of wage information and the division is not able to
2 obtain the information using other means pursuant to state or
3 federal law, the division may base the determination of
4 eligibility for benefits on the affidavit of the individual
5 with respect to wages for such calendar quarters. The
6 individual shall furnish payroll documentation, if available,
7 in support of the affidavit. A determination of benefits based
8 on an alternative base period shall be adjusted when the
9 quarterly report of wage information from the employer is
10 received if that information causes a change in the
11 determination.
12 Section 2. Notwithstanding s. 443.131(3), Florida
13 Statutes, for the 1999 and 2000 calendar years or any quarter
14 thereof, the division shall subtract 0.5 percent from each
15 employer's assigned tax rate, except for those employers who
16 are assigned the initial rate or who have been assigned a
17 contribution rate of 5.4 percent or higher for more than 36
18 months. Notwithstanding s. 443.131(2), Florida Statutes, for
19 the 1999 and 2000 calendar years, each employer whose
20 employment record has been chargeable with benefit payments
21 for less than eight calendar quarters shall pay contributions
22 at the initial rate of 2 percent.
23 Section 3. Subsection (3) and paragraph (a) of
24 subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are
25 amended to read:
26 443.111 Payment of benefits.--
27 (3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.--An individual's "weekly
28 benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one twenty-sixth
29 of the total wages for insured work paid during that quarter
30 of the base period in which such total wages paid were the
31 highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275 $250. For
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 31
204-187C-99
1 claims with benefit years beginning July 1, 1999 1997, through
2 December 31, 1997, an additional 5 percent of the weekly
3 benefit amount shall be added for the first 8 compensable
4 weeks of benefits paid, not to exceed $262. For benefit years
5 beginning January 1, 1998, an individual's "weekly benefit
6 amount" shall be an amount equal to one twenty-sixth of the
7 total wages for insured work paid during that quarter of the
8 base period in which such total wages paid were the highest,
9 but not less than $32 or more than $275. For claims with
10 benefit years beginning January 1, 1998, through June 30, 2000
11 1998, an additional 5 percent of the weekly benefit amount
12 shall be added for the first 8 compensable weeks of benefits
13 paid, not to exceed $288. Such weekly benefit amount, if not a
14 multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward to the nearest full
15 dollar amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount in effect at
16 the time the claimant establishes an individual weekly benefit
17 amount shall be the maximum benefit amount applicable
18 throughout the claimant's benefit year.
19 (5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.--
20 (a)1. Any otherwise eligible individual shall be
21 entitled during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits
22 equal to 25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not
23 to exceed $6,500. For claims with benefit years beginning July
24 1, 1997, through December 31, 1997, an additional amount equal
25 to 5 percent of the weekly benefit amount multiplied by 8
26 shall be added to the calculated total amount of benefits, the
27 sum of which may not exceed $6,596. For benefit years
28 beginning January 1, 1998, any otherwise eligible individual
29 shall be entitled during any benefit year to a total amount of
30 benefits equal to 25 percent of the total wages in the base
31 period, not to exceed $7,150. For claims with benefit years
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 31
204-187C-99
1 beginning July 1, 1999 January 1, 1998, through June 30, 2000
2 1998, an additional amount equal to 5 percent of the weekly
3 benefit amount multiplied by 8 shall be added to the
4 calculated total amount of benefits, the sum of which may not
5 exceed $7,254. However, such total amount of benefits, if not
6 a multiple of $1, shall be rounded downward to the nearest
7 full dollar amount. Such benefits shall be payable at a weekly
8 rate no greater than the weekly benefit amount.
9 2. For the purposes of this subsection, wages shall be
10 counted as "wages for insured work" for benefit purposes with
11 respect to any benefit year only if such benefit year begins
12 subsequent to the date on which the employing unit by whom
13 such wages were paid has satisfied the conditions of this
14 chapter with respect to becoming an employer.
15 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
16 year in which enacted.
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19 HOUSE SUMMARY
20
Revises provisions of unemployment compensation law to
21 provide for a determination of an alternative base
period, including an additional calendar year for
22 purposes of reducing tax rates, and to determine weekly
benefit amount and duration of benefits. See bill for
23 details.
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