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. 1
October 03, 2000
Amendments to State Unemployment Insurance Laws
ALASKA |
SB 222
CH 51 |
ENACTED May 11, 2000
EFFECTIVE July 1, 2000 except as noted |
Administration
Changes references to the Standard Industrial Classification to the North American
Industry Classification System.
Updates the prohibition against denying benefits because an individual is attending State
approved training to reference the Workforce Investment Act .
Benefits
Limits the disqualification for misconduct connected with work to the insured worker's
last work.
Effective October 7, 2001:
Changes Abenefit year@ from the one-year period beginning with the first day a claim is
filed to a 52-week period beginning the Sunday preceding the day a claim is filed.
Provides that the benefit year is a 53-week period if the filing for a determination
would result in overlapping any quarter of the base period of a previously filed request
for determination.
Provides that a transition period during which claims established prior to October 7,
2001, shall be completed as originally established. If an insured worker=s benefit year
ends on any day other than a Sunday, the benefit year will be extended until 11:59pm the
following Saturday.
|
COLORADO |
HB 1056
(CH 195) |
ENACTED May 24, 2000
EFFECTIVE July 1,
2000
|
Financing
Credits to the Unemployment Revenue fund: (1)
penalties collected from employers for late report filings; (2)
claimant penalties collected and all investigative costs awarded in
connection with overpayments established due to an individual= s false
representation or willful failure to disclose a material facts (repaid benefits
will be deposited into the unemployment trust fund); and (3)
money remaining in the federal advance interest repayment fund after interest charges a
administrative costs have been paid
|
INDIANA |
HB 1043
(P.L..
30) |
ENACTED March 15, 2000
EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2000 |
Benefits
Increases over a 3-year period the maximum level of quarterly wage credits for purposes
of computing benefits as follows:
After July 1, 2000 and prior to July 1, 2001: $6700
After July 1, 2001 and prior to July 1, 2002: $7300
After July 1, 2002 and prior to July 1, 2003: $7900
Financing
Added a new rate schedule (E) that decreases the contribution rate for certain employers;
rates for positive balance employers range from 0.15 to 2.4 percent and for negative
balance employers from 3.6 to 5.4 for calendar year 2001. Employer rates will be set
according to schedule D for calendar year 2002.
|
MINNESOTA |
SB 3554
(CH 343) |
ENACTED AprilL 6, 2000
EFFECTIVE April 7, 2000 |
Administration
Changes the program name from "reemployment compensation" to the "unemployment
compensation program" and, where applicable, changes the term "benefit" to "unemployment
benefit."
Financing
Changes the time period from 3 to 2 years for which a nonprofit organization is bound
when it elects to change from taxable to reimbursable status.
Changes the conditions under which nonprofit organizations can change from taxable to
reimbursable status, so that an employer can switch if it paid an amount of taxes that
exceeded the benefits to its employees by 25 percent over the past 5 years. Previously,
an employer either had to have no benefit charges or had to pay down its experience
rating to zero.
Permits the commissioner of economic security to apply the compromise authority (i.e., to
change in whole or in part any action, determination, or decision) that is applicable to
all other employers to nonprofit organizations.
|
MISSISSIPPI |
HB 211
(CH 508) |
ENACTED April 30, 2000
EFFECTIVE July 1, 2000 |
Administrative
Modifies the filing of lien provisions to require that the commission deliver a copy of
the warrant issued to the sheriff on employers failing to pay contributions and
assessments to the clerk of the circuit court.
Further modifies the lien provisions to, among other things, specify that a judgement not
be a lien upon the property of the employer for a period of more than 7 years from the
date of filing of the notice of the tax lien unless action be brought before the
expiration of such time or unless the commission refiles such notice of tax lien before
the expiration of such time. The judgment is a lien upon the property of the employer
for a period of 7 years from the date of refiling such notice of tax lien unless action
be brought before the expiration of such time or unless the commission refiles (without
limit to the number of times) such notice of tax lien before the expiration of such time.
Permits the commission to issue the warrant directly to the circuit clerk of any county of
the State for enrollment upon the judgment rolls of the county.
|
NEBRASKA |
LB 953 |
ENACTED and EFFECTIVE
April 6, 2000 |
Benefits
Provides that an individual is deemed to have left employment for good cause if escaping
abuse and is not disqualified from benefits for voluntarily leaving work provided all
reasonable efforts to preserve the employment were made.
Provides that no benefits will be charged to an employers experience account for benefits
paid based on the claimant voluntarily leaving work with good cause to escape abuse.
Deletes the language requiring the suspension of certain provisions of the extended
benefits program.
Coverage
Makes technical corrections in the exclusion from employment for services performed in
rehabilitation facilities or sheltered workshops.
|
NEW MEXICO |
HB 157 (CH 27) |
ENACTED and EFFECTIVE
March 6, 2000 |
Administrative
Deletes the requirements for the risk management advisory board to annually determine
and transfer balances of the State government unemployment compensation reserve fund.
Provides that the State government unemployment compensation reserve fund money may be
used to establish and maintain a reserve fund for reimbursing state agencies for benefits
paid to their former employees.
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SOUTH DAKOTA |
HB 1020
(CH 252) |
ENACTED February 2, 2000
|
Financing
Provides that after December 31, 2000, new employer rates will be assigned based on the
North American Industry Classification System, rather than the Standard Industrial
Classification System.
|
UTAH |
HB 345
(CH 292) |
ENACTED March 16, 2000
|
Benefits
Increases the maximum weekly benefit payable from 60 to 65 percent of the "insured average
fiscal year weekly wage" during the preceding fiscal year for individuals whose benefit
year begins on or after January 1, 2001.
Financing
Beginning January 1, 2000, establishes the social contribution at a fixed amount of 0.1
percent rather than a calculated amount, provided the reserve factor is 1.000 or less.
Retains the current procedures when the reserve factor is greater than 1.000 - - social
costs for the previous 4 years divided by total taxable wages
Modifies the determination of the reserve factor to set it at a rate that sustains an
adequate reserve. Defines "adequate reserve" as "between 17 and 19 months of benefits
at the average of the five highest benefit cost rates in the last 25 years."
|
UTAH |
SB 83
(CH 156) |
ENACTED March 7, 2000
|
Appeals
Eliminates the requirement for a recorded hearing in cases of UI fraud. Therefore,
determinations regarding fraud are appealable in the same manner as appeals from other
benefit determinations.
Coverage
Changes the definition of wages to conform with Section 3306(b), Federal Unemployment
Tax Act with some modifications.
|
WASHINGTON |
SB 6237 |
ENACTED and EFFECTIVE
March 17, 2000 |
Benefits
Deletes the authority for the Employment Security Department to deduct a processing
fee when intercepting or deducting child support from unemployment insurance benefits.
|
2000 Regular Legislative Sessions
States |
Convens 2000 date |
Adjourns |
Alaska |
January 10th |
May 10th |
Alabama |
February 1st |
March 21st |
Arkansas |
No
Regular 2000 Session |
Arizona |
January 10th |
April 14th |
California |
January 3rd |
August 31st |
Colorado |
January 5th |
May 3rd |
Connecticut |
February 9th |
May 3rd |
Deleware |
January 11th |
June 30th |
Florida |
March 7th |
May 6th |
Georgia |
January 10th |
March 17th |
Hawaii |
January 19th |
May 5th |
Iowa |
January 10th |
April 18th |
Idaho |
January 10th |
May 10th |
Illinois |
January 12th |
January 9th 2001 |
Indiana |
January 11th |
March 14th |
Kansas |
January 10th |
April 12th |
Kentucky |
January 4th |
April 15th |
Louisiana |
April 24th |
June 7th |
Massachusetts |
January 5th |
January 2nd 2001 |
Maryland |
January 12th |
April 10th |
Maine |
January 5th |
April 15th |
Michigan |
January 1st |
December 31st |
Minnesota |
February 1st |
May 22nd |
Missouri |
January 5th |
May 30th |
Mississippi |
January 4th |
May 7th |
Montana |
No Regular 2000 session |
|
North Carolina |
May 10th |
July 26th |
North Dakota |
No Regular 2000 session |
|
Nebraska |
January 5th |
April 17th |
New Hampshire |
January 5th |
July 1st |
New Jersey |
January 11th |
January 8th |
New Mexico |
January 18th |
February 22nd |
Nevada |
No Regular 2000 Session |
|
New York |
January 5th |
January 2nd 2001 |
Ohio |
January 4th |
December 31st |
Oklahoma |
February 7th |
May 26th |
Oregon |
No Regular 2000 Session |
|
Pennsyvania |
January 4th |
November 30th |
Rhode Island |
January 4th |
July 14th |
South Carolina |
January 11th |
June 1st |
South Dakota |
January 11th |
March 14th |
Tennessee |
January 11th |
April 27th |
Texas |
No Regular 2000 Session |
|
Utah |
January 17th |
March 2nd |
Virgina |
January 12th |
Febuary 25th |
Vermont |
January 4th |
April 25th |
Washington |
January 10th |
March 8th |
Wisconsin |
January 3rd |
May 4th |
West Virgina |
January 12th |
March 11th |
Wyoming |
February 21st |
March 10th |
U.S. Congress |
January 3rd |
October 27th |
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