Bill Text: FL S0644 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Reemployment Assistance
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2021-04-30 - Died in Commerce and Tourism [S0644 Detail]
Download: Florida-2021-S0644-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2021 SB 644 By Senator Taddeo 40-00788B-21 2021644__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to reemployment assistance; amending 3 s. 443.111, F.S.; increasing the minimum and maximum 4 weekly and yearly benefit amounts for reemployment 5 assistance; increasing the duration of such benefits; 6 creating s. 443.1318, F.S.; providing exceptions to 7 reemployment assistance requirements during a declared 8 state of emergency or public health emergency; 9 reenacting ss. 443.041(2)(b) and 443.1116(7) and 10 (8)(a), F.S., relating to attorney fees and short-time 11 compensation, respectively, to incorporate the 12 amendments made to s. 443.111, F.S., in references 13 thereto; creating the Reemployment Assistance Benefits 14 Task Force adjunct to the Department of Economic 15 Opportunity; providing a purpose for the task force; 16 providing for membership of the task force; requiring 17 the task force to submit a report to the Governor and 18 the Legislature by a specified date; providing for the 19 expiration of the task force; providing an effective 20 date. 21 22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23 24 Section 1. Subsection (3) and paragraphs (b) and (c) of 25 subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are amended 26 to read: 27 443.111 Payment of benefits.— 28 (3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An individual’s “weekly benefit 29 amount” is an amount equal to one twenty-sixth of the total 30 wages for insured work paid during that quarter of the base 31 period in which the total wages paid were the highest, but not 32 less than $200$32or more than $600$275. The weekly benefit 33 amount, if not a multiple of $1, is rounded downward to the 34 nearest full dollar amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount in 35 effect at the time the claimant establishes an individual weekly 36 benefit amount is the maximum benefit amount applicable 37 throughout the claimant’s benefit year. 38 (5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.— 39 (b) Each otherwise eligible individual is entitled during 40 any benefit year to a total amount of benefits equal to 25 41 percent of the total wages in his or her base period, not to 42 exceed $27,600$6,325or the product arrived at by multiplying 43 the weekly benefit amount with the number of weeks determined in 44 paragraph (c), whichever is less. However, the total amount of 45 benefits, if not a multiple of $1, is rounded downward to the 46 nearest full dollar amount. These benefits are payable at a 47 weekly rate no greater than the weekly benefit amount. 48 (c) For claims submitted during a calendar year, the 49 duration of benefits is limited to: 50 1. Twenty-sixTwelveweeks if this state’s average 51 unemployment rate is at or below 5 percent. 52 2. An additional week in addition to the 2612weeks for 53 each 0.5 percent increment in this state’s average unemployment 54 rate above 5 percent. 55 3. Up to a maximum of 4623weeks if this state’s average 56 unemployment rate equals or exceeds 10.5 percent. 57 Section 2. Section 443.1318, Florida Statutes, is created 58 to read: 59 443.1318 Effect of state of emergency or public health 60 emergency.—During a state of emergency declared by the Governor 61 under chapter 252 or during a public health emergency declared 62 pursuant to s. 381.00315: 63 (1) The work search requirements under s. 443.091(1)(d) are 64 suspended for the duration of the state of emergency or public 65 health emergency. 66 (2) Individuals who are ineligible for benefits under this 67 chapter solely due to being a gig worker, an independent 68 contractor, or self-employed and who would otherwise be eligible 69 to receive benefits are eligible to receive benefits for the 70 duration of the state of emergency or public health emergency. 71 Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments 72 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a 73 reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 74 443.041, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 75 443.041 Waiver of rights; fees; privileged communications.— 76 (2) FEES.— 77 (b) An attorney at law representing a claimant for benefits 78 in any district court of appeal of this state or in the Supreme 79 Court of Florida is entitled to counsel fees payable by the 80 department as set by the court if the petition for review or 81 appeal is initiated by the claimant and results in a decision 82 awarding more benefits than provided in the decision from which 83 appeal was taken. The amount of the fee may not exceed 50 84 percent of the total amount of regular benefits permitted under 85 s. 443.111(5)(b) during the benefit year. 86 Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments 87 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in 88 references thereto, subsection (7) and paragraph (a) of 89 subsection (8) of section 443.1116, Florida Statutes, are 90 reenacted to read: 91 443.1116 Short-time compensation.— 92 (7) TOTAL SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An 93 individual may not be paid benefits under this section in any 94 benefit year for more than the maximum entitlement provided in 95 s. 443.111(5), and an individual may not be paid short-time 96 compensation benefits for more than 26 weeks in any benefit 97 year. 98 (8) EFFECT OF SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFITS RELATING TO 99 THE PAYMENT OF REGULAR AND EXTENDED BENEFITS.— 100 (a) The short-time compensation benefits paid to an 101 individual shall be deducted from the total benefit amount 102 established for that individual in s. 443.111(5). 103 Section 5. (1) The Reemployment Assistance Benefits Task 104 Force, a task force as defined in s. 20.03(8), Florida Statutes, 105 is created adjunct to the Department of Economic Opportunity. 106 Except as otherwise provided, the task force shall operate in a 107 manner consistent with s. 20.052, Florida Statutes. 108 (2) The purpose of the task force is to make 109 recommendations on how to improve the Reemployment Assistance 110 Claims and Benefits Information System established under s. 111 443.1113, Florida Statutes, including how to decrease the 112 likelihood of such system becoming inaccessible during periods 113 of high demand, and how to streamline and increase the 114 efficiency of the reemployment assistance application process. 115 (3)(a) The task force shall be comprised of 12 members, 116 appointed as follows: 117 1. Four bipartisan members appointed by the Governor. 118 2. Four bipartisan members appointed by the President of 119 the Senate. 120 3. Four bipartisan members appointed by the Speaker of the 121 House of Representatives. 122 (b) All appointments must be made by August 1, 2021. A 123 vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the initial 124 appointment. The task force shall elect a chair from among its 125 members. 126 (4) The task force shall submit a report of their findings 127 and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the 128 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by 129 January 1, 2022. 130 (5) The Task force expires June 30, 2022. 131 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.