| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to unemployment compensation for spouses |
| 3 | of members of the military; amending s. 443.101, F.S.; |
| 4 | providing eligibility for unemployment compensation |
| 5 | benefits for the spouses of a member of the military under |
| 6 | certain circumstances beginning on a date certain; |
| 7 | providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section |
| 12 | 443.101, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 443.101 Disqualification for benefits.--An individual |
| 14 | shall be disqualified for benefits: |
| 15 | (1)(a) For the week in which he or she has voluntarily |
| 16 | left his or her work without good cause attributable to his or |
| 17 | her employing unit or in which the individual has been |
| 18 | discharged by his or her employing unit for misconduct connected |
| 19 | with his or her work, based on a finding by the Agency for |
| 20 | Workforce Innovation. As used in this paragraph, the term "work" |
| 21 | means any work, whether full-time, part-time, or temporary. |
| 22 | 1. Disqualification for voluntarily quitting continues for |
| 23 | the full period of unemployment next ensuing after he or she has |
| 24 | left his or her full-time, part-time, or temporary work |
| 25 | voluntarily without good cause and until the individual has |
| 26 | earned income equal to or in excess of 17 times his or her |
| 27 | weekly benefit amount. As used in this subsection, the term |
| 28 | "good cause" includes only that cause attributable to the |
| 29 | employing unit or which consists of illness or disability of the |
| 30 | individual requiring separation from his or her work. Any other |
| 31 | disqualification may not be imposed. An individual is not |
| 32 | disqualified under this subsection for voluntarily leaving |
| 33 | temporary work to return immediately when called to work by the |
| 34 | permanent employing unit that temporarily terminated his or her |
| 35 | work within the previous 6 calendar months. For benefit years |
| 36 | beginning on or after July 1, 2004, an individual is not |
| 37 | disqualified under this subsection for voluntarily leaving work |
| 38 | to relocate as a result of his or her military-connected |
| 39 | spouse's permanent change of station orders, activation orders, |
| 40 | or unit deployment orders. |
| 41 | 2. Disqualification for being discharged for misconduct |
| 42 | connected with his or her work continues for the full period of |
| 43 | unemployment next ensuing after having been discharged and until |
| 44 | the individual has become reemployed and has earned income of at |
| 45 | least 17 times his or her weekly benefit amount and for not more |
| 46 | than 52 weeks that immediately follow that week, as determined |
| 47 | by the Agency for Workforce Innovation in each case according to |
| 48 | the circumstances in each case or the seriousness of the |
| 49 | misconduct, under the agency's rules adopted for determinations |
| 50 | of disqualification for benefits for misconduct. |
| 51 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |