CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.



                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 637

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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  5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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11  Representative(s) Kyle offered the following:

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13         Substitute Amendment for Amendment (182513) (with title

14  amendment) 

15  Remove from the bill:  Everything after the enacting clause

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17  and insert in lieu thereof:

18         Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

19  443.101, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

20         443.101  Disqualification for benefits.--An individual

21  shall be disqualified for benefits:

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

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

24  her employing unit or in which the individual has been

25  discharged by his or her employing unit for misconduct

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

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

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

29         1.  Disqualification for voluntarily quitting shall

30  continue for the full period of unemployment next ensuing

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

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 637

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  temporary work voluntarily without good cause and until such

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

  3  his or her weekly benefit amount. No other disqualification

  4  may be imposed.; The term "good cause" as used in this

  5  subsection includes only such cause as is attributable to the

  6  employing unit or which consists of illness or disability of

  7  the individual requiring separation from his or her work or

  8  which consists of being a victim of domestic violence which

  9  results in being separated from work due to circumstances

10  directly resulting from the individual's experience of

11  domestic violence as defined in s. 414.0252. In addition, the

12  victim must relocate to avoid the domestic violence.

13         a.  An individual's separation from work shall be

14  treated as due to circumstances directly resulting from the

15  individual's experience of domestic violence if the individual

16  establishes satisfactory proof, including corroborating

17  evidence, which may include, but is not limited to, one of the

18  following:

19         (I)  A restraining order or equitable relief;

20         (II)  Police record documenting domestic violence;

21         (III)  Proof of conviction of the domestic violence

22  perpetrator;

23         (IV)  Medical documentation of domestic violence; or

24         (V)  Certification from a certified domestic violence

25  specialist that the individual is a domestic violence victim.

26         b.  If an individual's separation from work is

27  determined by the Division of Unemployment Compensation to be

28  due to circumstances directly resulting from the individual's

29  experience of domestic violence, an individual residing in

30  Florida shall be referred to a certified domestic violence

31  center to develop a plan to prepare the individual for

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 637

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  self-sufficiency, while providing for the safety of the

  2  individual and the individual's dependents.

  3         c.  If an arrest has been made as the result of an

  4  incident alleging domestic violence, and the incident arising

  5  from that arrest is used to establish satisfactory proof of

  6  domestic violence pursuant to sub-subparagraph a., the

  7  employee shall be available and cooperate with the prosecution

  8  of the individual, in order to be eligible for unemployment

  9  compensation. If an alleged incident of domestic violence has

10  occurred within the year preceding the employee's separation

11  from work and the alleged incident is criminal in nature, the

12  employee shall file a criminal complaint with law enforcement

13  and the employee shall be available and cooperate with the

14  prosecution of the individual.

15         d.  Funding for unemployment compensation claims based

16  upon domestic violence shall be made only if provided by

17  specific appropriation in this act or in the General

18  Appropriations Act specific to this purpose. The division must

19  determine that no other qualifying conditions for unemployment

20  compensation benefits exist prior to qualifying a victim of

21  domestic violence for the benefits provided in this section.

22  The division shall refer the domestic violence victim to the

23  appropriate agency, organization, or domestic violence center

24  that provides counseling and supportive services. These

25  referrals shall be made in such a manner as to protect the

26  individual's confidentiality.

27         e.  No other disqualification may be imposed. An

28  individual shall not be disqualified under this subsection for

29  voluntarily leaving temporary work to return immediately when

30  called to work by the permanent employing unit that

31  temporarily terminated his or her work within the previous 6

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 637

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  calendar months.

  2         2.  Disqualification for being discharged for

  3  misconduct connected with his or her work shall continue for

  4  the full period of unemployment next ensuing after having been

  5  discharged and until such individual has become reemployed and

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

  7  benefit amount and for not more than 52 weeks that immediately

  8  follow such week, as determined by the division in each case

  9  according to the circumstances in each case or the seriousness

10  of the misconduct, pursuant to rules of the division enacted

11  for determinations of disqualification for benefits for

12  misconduct.

13         Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General

14  Revenue Fund to the Department of Labor and Employment

15  Security, Division of Unemployment Compensation, the sum of

16  $200,000 for the purpose of paying unemployment claims for

17  victims of domestic violence as provided in s.

18  443.101(1)(a)1., Florida Statutes.

19         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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22  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

23  And the title is amended as follows:

24         On page 1, line 7

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26  after the semicolon, insert:

27         prescribing conditions; requiring satisfactory

28         proof; requiring referral to a certified

29         domestic violence center; conditioning payment

30         of claims based on domestic violence upon

31         specific appropriation; providing an

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 637

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





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