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. 2
June 2007
ARKANSAS |
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ENACTED April 4, 2007 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2007 |
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Financing | ||||
Amends the Arkansas Revenue Stabilization Law to provide that the Employment Security Special Fund will also consist of unemployment compensation contribution interest and penalty payments collected as a result of State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) dumping. |
IOWA | SB 448 (CH 96) |
ENACTED April 17, 2007 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2007 |
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Administration | ||
Requires that the department hold confidential unemployment insurance information received by the
department from an unemployment insurance agency of another state. Provides that a public official or an agent or contractor of a public official who receives unemployment information or a third party other than an agent acting on behalf of a claimant or employer and who violates the confidentiality requirements is guilty, upon conviction, of a serious misdemeanor. For purposes of this provision, "public official" means an official or employee within the executive branch of federal, state, or local government, or an elected official of the federal or a state or local government. (Previously, this provision applied to an employee of the department, an administrative law judge, or a member of the appeal board.) |
KANSAS | SB 235 (CH 44) |
ENACTED and EFFECTIVE April 5, 2007 |
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Coverage | ||
Excludes from the definition of "employment" services performed by an owner-operator of a motor vehicle that is leased from a licensed motor carrier, provided that under the terms of the lease agreement, the owner-operator is not treated as an employee under federal law. Additionally, the employees or agents of the owner-operator will not be considered employees of the licensed motor carrier. |
MARYLAND |
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ENACTED April 10, 2007 EFFECTIVE June 1, 2007 |
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Administration | ||||
Reestablishes the Joint Committee on Unemployment Insurance (UI) Oversight, and establishes the membership and staffing of the Committee. Requires the committee to examine the condition of the UI system as a result of the implementation of the 2005 amendments to Chapter 169 and allows examination of additional alterations, including charging/taxation provisions and the eligibility/benefit provisions. Requires the committee to report its findings and recommendations on December 31, of each year. Dissolves the committee on December 31, 2007, unless reestablished by action of the General Assembly. |
NEW YORK | AB 6163 (CH 6) |
ENACTED March 13, 2007 EFFECTIVE April 2, 2007 |
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Administration | ||
Allows the Department of Labor to receive and redisclose unemployment insurance (UI) information
from quarterly combined withholding, wage reporting, and UI returns filed by employers for the administration of
the UI program, the employment services program, and Federal and state employment and training programs, employment
statistics and labor market information programs, worker protection programs, other Federal programs for which the
Department of Labor has responsibility, or other purposes deemed appropriate by the Commissioner of Labor.
(Previously allowed disclosure of such information for employment security programs, evaluation of employment and
training programs, reporting, and monitoring.) Allows information to be used in court in actions pursuant to disclosures to Federal, state, or local agencies, or to adjudicate a claim for benefits. Requires information to be disclosed upon request to any Federal, state, or local agency entitled to such information under the Social Security Act or any other Federal law in the manner prescribed by such law or its implementing regulations. Allows the Commissioner to require written agreements with requesting Federal, state, or local agencies consistent with Federal regulations including the regulation concerning the confidentiality and disclosure of state unemployment compensation information, and assurances that the requesting agency has adequate security safeguards in place. Allows information to be disclosed to Federal, state, or local agencies for the following legitimate governmental purposes:
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NORTH DAKOTA | HB 1056 | ENACTED April 11, 2007 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2007 |
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Financing | ||
Provides for continuing appropriation of the Federal advance interest repayment fund, and authorizes use of monies in this fund for the purposes of reemployment programs to ensure the integrity of the unemployment insurance program. |
NORTH DAKOTA | HB 1278 (CH 4) |
ENACTED April 17, 2007 EFFECTIVE August 1, 2007 |
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Financing | ||
Excludes design and engineering firms connected with construction projects estimated at a cost
of at least $50 million planned for completion or discontinuance within a 7-year period from posting a bond or
an irrevocable letter of credit. Changes the computation of the amount of bond or irrevocable letter of credit, the estimation of contributions expected, and the estimation of benefits paid. Provides that the general or prime contractor, or the owner when there is no general or prime contractor, must remain liable for any amount of benefits paid to the employees working on the project which exceeds the amount of contributions collected from the employers who worked on the project which is not covered by the amount of the bond or irrevocable letter of credit. |
NORTH DAKOTA | HB 1413 | ENACTED and EFFECTIVE March 9, 2007 |
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Financing | ||
Amends the provision on determination of rates by providing that:
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VIRGINIA | HB 964 (CH 426) |
ENACTED March 19, 2007 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2009 |
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Financing | ||
Allows filing of payroll and tax reports, and payment of taxes annually if the employment is exclusively domestic service in a private home and quarterly payroll does not exceed $5,000 regardless of the number of persons providing service. |
VIRGINIA | HB 2066 (CH 628) |
ENACTED March 20, 2007 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2007 |
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Monetary Entitlement | ||
Increases the maximum weekly benefit amount from $347 to $363 effective July 1, 2007. |
VIRGINIA | HB 2272 (CH 638) |
ENACTED March 20, 2007 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2007 |
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Administration | ||
Requires employers who report 100 or more employees in any calendar quarter to file quarterly reports on an electronic medium in a format prescribed by the Commissioner beginning January 1, 2009. Imposes a penalty of $75 for failure to file electronically without good cause for employers who had not obtained a waiver. Requires penalties collected to be paid to the Special Unemployment Compensation Administration Fund. |