Bill Text: FL S0466 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Reemployment Assistance
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2021-04-30 - Died in Commerce and Tourism [S0466 Detail]
Download: Florida-2021-S0466-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2021 SB 466 By Senator Bracy 11-00518-21 2021466__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to reemployment assistance; amending 3 s. 443.111, F.S.; increasing the maximum weekly and 4 yearly benefit amounts for reemployment assistance; 5 increasing the duration of such benefits; reenacting 6 ss. 443.041 and 443.1116, F.S., relating to attorney 7 fees and short-time compensation, respectively, to 8 incorporate the amendments made to s. 443.111, F.S., 9 in a reference thereto; providing an effective date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1. Subsection (3) and paragraphs (b) and (c) of 14 subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are amended 15 to read: 16 443.111 Payment of benefits.— 17 (3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An individual’s “weekly benefit 18 amount” is an amount equal to one twenty-sixth of the total 19 wages for insured work paid during that quarter of the base 20 period in which the total wages paid were the highest, but not 21 less than $32 or more than $400$275. The weekly benefit amount, 22 if not a multiple of $1, is rounded downward to the nearest full 23 dollar amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount in effect at 24 the time the claimant establishes an individual weekly benefit 25 amount is the maximum benefit amount applicable throughout the 26 claimant’s benefit year. 27 (5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.— 28 (b) Each otherwise eligible individual is entitled during 29 any benefit year to a total amount of benefits equal to 25 30 percent of the total wages in his or her base period, not to 31 exceed $10,400$6,325or the product arrived at by multiplying 32 the weekly benefit amount with the number of weeks determined in 33 paragraph (c), whichever is less. However, the total amount of 34 benefits, if not a multiple of $1, is rounded downward to the 35 nearest full dollar amount. These benefits are payable at a 36 weekly rate no greater than the weekly benefit amount. 37 (c) For claims submitted during a calendar year, the 38 duration of benefits is limited to 26 weeks:391. Twelve weeks if this state’s average unemployment rate40is at or below 5 percent.412. An additional week in addition to the 12 weeks for each420.5 percent increment in this state’s average unemployment rate43above 5 percent.443. Up to a maximum of 23 weeks if this state’s average45unemployment rate equals or exceeds 10.5 percent. 46 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments 47 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a 48 reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 49 443.041, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 50 443.041 Waiver of rights; fees; privileged communications.— 51 (2) FEES.— 52 (b) An attorney at law representing a claimant for benefits 53 in any district court of appeal of this state or in the Supreme 54 Court of Florida is entitled to counsel fees payable by the 55 department as set by the court if the petition for review or 56 appeal is initiated by the claimant and results in a decision 57 awarding more benefits than provided in the decision from which 58 appeal was taken. The amount of the fee may not exceed 50 59 percent of the total amount of regular benefits permitted under 60 s. 443.111(5)(b) during the benefit year. 61 Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments 62 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a 63 reference thereto, subsection (7) and paragraph (a) of 64 subsection (8) of section 443.1116, Florida Statutes, are 65 reenacted to read: 66 443.1116 Short-time compensation.— 67 (7) TOTAL SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An 68 individual may not be paid benefits under this section in any 69 benefit year for more than the maximum entitlement provided in 70 s. 443.111(5), and an individual may not be paid short-time 71 compensation benefits for more than 26 weeks in any benefit 72 year. 73 (8) EFFECT OF SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFITS RELATING TO 74 THE PAYMENT OF REGULAR AND EXTENDED BENEFITS.— 75 (a) The short-time compensation benefits paid to an 76 individual shall be deducted from the total benefit amount 77 established for that individual in s. 443.111(5). 78 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.