HB 0857 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to economic recovery; providing
3	legislative intent; providing criteria, requirements, and
4	limitations on certain training; providing for power and
5	authority of the Agency for Workforce Innovation;
6	providing requirements for expenditure of certain funds;
7	amending s. 443.036, F.S.; providing a definition and an
8	application of an alternative base period; providing
9	requirements and limitations; specifying, for a limited
10	time period, alternative time periods and amounts of
11	certain payments, an increase in weekly benefit amounts,
12	and waiver of a waiting period for certain individuals for
13	unemployment compensation purposes; providing an effective
14	date.
15
16	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18	Section 1. The Legislature finds that businesses and
19	individuals in this state are experiencing significant economic
20	hardship and that revenues critical to the delivery of vital
21	public services are jeopardized. Therefore, it is the intent of
22	the Legislature to establish policies designed to stimulate
23	economic activity in this state and promote the economic
24	security of the residents of this state. The need to retain and
25	create jobs in this state in the current economic environment is
26	great. A significant investment of state funds in reemployment
27	and retraining programs is essential to economic recovery in
28	this state. The state should invest in economic recovery
29	training programs that deliver a high expectation of continued
30	employment after a reasonably short period of training is
31	completed. Economic recovery training funds should be expended
32	on programs that enhance the skills of residents of this state
33	who are employed by businesses based in this state.
34	Section 2. Economic recovery training shall be awarded to
35	providers of training services on a competitive bid basis and
36	shall receive continued support on a performance based schedule
37	not to exceed 12 months. Training agreements may not be
38	continued with employers who demonstrate a pattern of failing to
39	provide participants with employment. The Agency for Workforce
40	Innovation and its controlling board, Workforce Florida, Inc.,
41	shall have power and authority over the use of economic recovery
42	training funds pursuant to this act and such funds shall be
43	expended in accordance with the provisions of chapter 445,
44	Florida Statutes.
45	Section 3. Subsection (7) of section 443.036, Florida
46	Statutes, is amended to read:
47	443.036 Definitions.--As used in this chapter, unless the
48	context clearly requires otherwise:
49	(7) BASE PERIOD.--
50	(a)"Base period" means the first four of the last five
51	completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day
52	of an individual's benefit year.
53	(b) With respect to a benefit year commencing after
54	October 1, 2003, if an individual is not monetarily eligible in
55	his or her base period to qualify for benefits, the Agency for
56	Workforce Innovation must designate his or her base period to be
57	the alternative base period. As used in this paragraph, the term
58	"alternative base period" means the last four completed calendar
59	quarters immediately preceding the individual's benefit year.
60	Wages used in a base period to establish a monetarily eligible
61	benefit year may not be applied to establish monetary
62	eligibility in any succeeding benefit year. If information
63	regarding wages for the calendar quarter or quarters immediately
64	preceding the benefit year has not been input into the agency's
65	database, the agency shall request such information from the
66	employer. An employer must respond to the wage request within 10
67	days after receiving a request from the agency. If the employer
68	fails to provide the requested wage information within the
69	required time, the employer is subject to the penalty for
70	delinquent reports provided in s. 443.141(1)(b).
71	(c) For monetary determinations based upon the alternative
72	base period under paragraph (b), if the agency is unable to
73	access the wage information through its database, the agency may
74	base the determination of eligibility for benefits on an
75	affidavit submitted by the individual with respect to wages for
76	those calendar quarters. The individual must furnish payroll
77	information, if available, in support of the affidavit. A
78	determination of benefits based upon an alternative base period
79	shall be adjusted when the quarterly report of wage information
80	from the employer is received, if that information causes a
81	change in the determination.
82	Section 4. (1) Notwithstanding section 443.091(1)(e),
83	Florida Statutes, the waiting period of 1 week shall be waived
84	for unemployed individuals eligible to receive benefits.
85	(2) Notwithstanding section 443.111(1), Florida Statutes,
86	the initial payment of unemployment compensation benefits shall
87	be for 1 week of compensation and subsequent compensation shall
88	occur biweekly.
89	(3) Notwithstanding section 443.111(3), Florida Statutes,
90	the weekly benefit amount for any individual shall be increased
91	by the greater of $25 or 15 percent.
92	(4) This section expires June 30, 2005.
93	Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.