| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to unemployment compensation benefits; |
| 3 | amending ss. 443.091 and 443.1115, F.S.; providing |
| 4 | volunteer service requirements for unemployed individuals |
| 5 | claiming unemployment and extended benefits; providing an |
| 6 | exception; providing an effective date. |
| 7 |
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| 8 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Section 1. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (1) of |
| 11 | section 443.091, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 12 | 443.091 Benefit eligibility conditions.- |
| 13 | (1) An unemployed individual is eligible to receive |
| 14 | benefits for any week only if the Agency for Workforce |
| 15 | Innovation finds that: |
| 16 | (i) She or he has volunteered for a minimum of 4 hours for |
| 17 | that week with a nonprofit organization, as defined in s. |
| 18 | 443.1312(1), of her or his choosing. The individual must submit |
| 19 | a letter to the Agency for Workforce Innovation on the |
| 20 | letterhead of the nonprofit organization that confirms that she |
| 21 | or he has performed at least 4 hours of volunteer service that |
| 22 | week. An individual with a disability, as described in s. |
| 23 | 393.063(9) or s. 413.08(1)(b), is exempt from the requirements |
| 24 | of this paragraph. |
| 25 | Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section |
| 26 | 443.1115, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 27 | 443.1115 Extended benefits.- |
| 28 | (3) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR EXTENDED BENEFITS.- |
| 29 | (a) An individual is eligible to receive extended benefits |
| 30 | for any week of unemployment in her or his eligibility period |
| 31 | only if the Agency for Workforce Innovation finds that, for that |
| 32 | week: |
| 33 | 1. She or he is an exhaustee as defined in subsection (1). |
| 34 | 2. She or he satisfies the requirements of this chapter |
| 35 | for the receipt of regular benefits applicable to individuals |
| 36 | claiming extended benefits, including not being subject to |
| 37 | disqualification from the receipt of benefits. An individual |
| 38 | disqualified from receiving regular benefits may not receive |
| 39 | extended benefits after the disqualification period terminates |
| 40 | if he or she was disqualified for voluntarily leaving work, |
| 41 | being discharged from work for misconduct, or refusing suitable |
| 42 | work. However, if the disqualification period for regular |
| 43 | benefits terminates because the individual received the required |
| 44 | amount of remuneration for services rendered as a common-law |
| 45 | employee, she or he may receive extended benefits. |
| 46 | 3. The individual was paid wages for insured work for the |
| 47 | applicable benefit year equal to 1.5 times the high quarter |
| 48 | earnings during the base period. |
| 49 | 4. She or he has volunteered for a minimum of 4 hours with |
| 50 | a nonprofit organization, as defined in s. 443.1312(1), of her |
| 51 | or his choosing. The individual must submit a letter to the |
| 52 | Agency for Workforce Innovation on the letterhead of the |
| 53 | nonprofit organization that confirms that she or he has |
| 54 | performed at least 4 hours of volunteer service that week. An |
| 55 | individual with a disability, as described in s. 393.063(9) or |
| 56 | s. 413.08(1)(b), is exempt from the requirements of this |
| 57 | subparagraph. |
| 58 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |