Amendments to State Unemployment Insurance Laws
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Washington, D.C. 20210
REPORT ON STATE LEGISLATION
REPORT NO. 3
December 22, 2000
Amendments to State Unemployment Insurance Laws
ARIZONA |
HB 2262
CH 383 |
ENACTED April 25, 2000
EFFECTIVE as noted |
Taxation
Beginning January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2007, (or, if earlier, when the federal
unemployment tax is reduced to 6 percent), decreases the required income rates by one-tenth
of one percent; the required income rate is used to adjust employer tax rates.
Beginning January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2007, imposes on employers a job training
employer tax to replace State general fund monies as the funding source for the existing
Arizona job training program; funds will be collected by the Department of Economic
Security and deposited in the job training fund.
Provides that unexpended or unencumbered monies in the job training fund upon repeal of
the job training program in 2008 revert to the unemployment compensation fund if the
monies were attributable to the job training employer tax.
Deletes the provision related to non-charging benefits attributable to former welfare
recipients. (Resolves conformity issue)
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ILLINOIS |
HB 3260
(PA 91-890) |
ENACTED and EFFECTIVE
July 6, 2000
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Coverage
Specifies the conditions under which an individual (under a contract between an employee
leasing company and a client employer) is considered an employee of either the employee
leasing company or the client employer.
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MASSACHUSETTS |
HB 4867
(CH 172) |
ENACTED December 30, 1999
EFFECTIVE Upon enactment or as indicated |
Administration
Established two legislative task forces:
- to study the financing of the State=s unemployment insurance fund, the
feasibility of exempting employers from unemployment tax on former welfare
recipients, and how a portion of the unemployment fund might be used to finance a
personal development allowance to allow a claimant to apply a portion of their
benefits to pay for retraining and skill development,
- to study the establishment of a statewide insurance and retirement plan for
temporary disability, family medical related leave and retirement.
(Task force reports were due 5/15/2000.)
Financing
Effective for calendar year 2000
Supersedes the employer tax rate schedule that would have automatically been in effect
for 2000, ranging from 1.8 to 7.7 percent of payroll, and replaces it with a rate schedule
ranging from 1.325 to 7.225 percent of payroll.
Postpones effective date on repeal of workforce training tax from 12/31/2001 to 12/31/2002.
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NEW HAMPSHIRE |
HB 1512
(CH 83) |
ENACTED and EFFECTIVE
April 21, 2000 |
Benefits
Establishes a committee to study the feasibility of implementing a paid family and
medical leave insurance program and potential funding sources to support it.
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NEW YORK |
SB 6539
(CH 5) |
ENACTED February 15, 2000
EFFECTIVE as noted |
Administrative
Requires that monies credited with respect to Federal fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002 be
transferred to the unemployment administration fund and be used only for expenses incurred
by the State for the administration of the unemployment insurance law and not be used for
the payment of unemployment compensation or for the administration of State public
employment offices. (Effective March 2, 2000)
Establishes an unemployment insurance (UI) control fund which will consist of all
penalties imposed and collected for failure to file a combined withholding, wage reporting
and UI return, and other funds. Requires money=s in the UI control fund to be kept
separate from and not commingled with any other moneys and to be used for the location
and prevention of fraud and abuse, collection and enforcement activities, benefit payment
control activities and other quality control activities related to the UI program.
(Effective January 1, 2001)
Changes to 30 (from 20) days the time period an employer has to file a return or corrected
or insufficient return. (Effective December 31, 2000)
Specifies the penalties (with waivers for good cause or subsequent compliance) for
employer failure to provide complete and correct wage reporting information on the
return. Requires the penalties imposed and collected to be credited to the special
fund. (Effective January 1, 2001)
Modifies the definition of the term Aqualified employer@ to include any employer who has
had an amount of contributions due and/or an amount of wages paid determined by the
commissioner.
(Effective December 31, 2000)
Modifies the penalty for failure to file required returns to impose a penalty of 5
percent of the amount of contributions required (including assessment or modification)
if failure to file return is less than 1 month with an additional 5 percent for each
additional month or fraction thereof during with such failure continues, not exceeding
25 percent in the aggregate, with not less than $100 for each occurrence.
Revises the employer tax rate schedule changing the range of rates from 0.0 to 8.5
percent to 0.0 to 8.9 percent. (Effective January 1, 2001)
Specifies that for any calendar year when contributions paid into the re-employment
service fund equals $35 million, excess contributions will be credited to the general
account. (Effective February 15, 2000)
Benefits
Clarifies the term Aweek of employment@ to mean a Monday-Sunday period. (Effective
March 2, 2000)
Limits the earnings in the high calendar quarter of the base period in determining a
valid original claim to 22 times the maximum benefit rate. (Effective March 2, 2000)
Specifies that a reconsideration of the weekly benefit amount may be requested to the
commissioner by the claimant if certain conditions are met. (Effective March 2, 2000)
Modifies the conditions related to the prevailing wage under which a claimant must
accept employment after receiving 13 weeks of benefits. (Effective February 15, 2000)
(Resolves pending issue.)
Modifies the pension offset provision dealing with benefit reductions, to make it
consistent with the Federal Unemployment Tax Act. (Effective February 15, 2000)
(Resolves pending issue.)
Financing
Requires that monies from the re-employment service fund be deposited in the unemployment
insurance fund. (Effective March 2, 2000)
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VIRGINA |
HB 1464 |
ENACTED and EFFECTIVE
April 8, 2000 |
Benefits
Provides that an individual shall not be denied benefits because the individual is in
training with the approval of the Virginia Employment Commission, including training
under the Workforce Investment Act, or because of application of the provisions relating
to availability for work, failure to apply for, or refusal to accept, suitable work for
any week in which he is in such training.
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