Bill Text: FL S1996 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Unemployment Compensation
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2021-04-30 - Died in Commerce and Tourism [S1996 Detail]
Download: Florida-2021-S1996-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1996 By Senator Pizzo 38-01922-21 20211996__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to unemployment compensation; amending 3 s. 443.111, F.S.; increasing the weekly benefit 4 amounts an individual may receive; conforming 5 provisions to changes made by the act; reenacting ss. 6 443.041(2)(b) and 443.1116(6), (7), and (8)(a), F.S., 7 relating to fees and short-term compensation, 8 respectively, to incorporate the amendments made to s. 9 443.111, F.S., in references thereto; providing an 10 effective date. 11 12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13 14 Section 1. Subsection (3) and paragraph (b) of subsection 15 (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, is amended 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 the product of the Florida minimum 22 wage as defined in s. 448.109(1) multiplied by 40$275. The 23 weekly benefit amount, if not a multiple of $1, is rounded 24 downward to the nearest full dollar amount. The maximum weekly 25 benefit amount in effect at the time the claimant establishes an 26 individual weekly benefit amount is the maximum benefit amount 27 applicable throughout the claimant’s benefit year. 28 (5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.— 29 (b) Each otherwise eligible individual is entitled during 30 any benefit year to a total amount of benefits equal to 25 31 percent of the total wages in his or her base period, not to 32 exceed$6,325 orthe product arrived at by multiplying the 33 weekly benefit amount with the number of weeks determined in 34 paragraph (c), whichever is less. However, the total amount of 35 benefits, if not a multiple of $1, is rounded downward to the 36 nearest full dollar amount. These benefits are payable at a 37 weekly rate no greater than the weekly benefit amount. 38 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 39 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a 40 reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 41 443.041, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 42 443.041 Waiver of rights; fees; privileged communications.— 43 (2) FEES.— 44 (b) An attorney at law representing a claimant for benefits 45 in any district court of appeal of this state or in the Supreme 46 Court of Florida is entitled to counsel fees payable by the 47 department as set by the court if the petition for review or 48 appeal is initiated by the claimant and results in a decision 49 awarding more benefits than provided in the decision from which 50 appeal was taken. The amount of the fee may not exceed 50 51 percent of the total amount of regular benefits permitted under 52 s. 443.111(5)(b) during the benefit year. 53 Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 54 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a 55 reference thereto, subsections (6) and (7) and paragraph (a) of 56 subsection (8) of section 443.1116, Florida Statutes, are 57 reenacted to read: 58 443.1116 Short-time compensation.— 59 (6) WEEKLY SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFIT AMOUNT.—The 60 weekly short-time compensation benefit amount payable to an 61 individual is equal to the product of her or his weekly benefit 62 amount as provided in s. 443.111(3) and the ratio of the number 63 of normal weekly hours of work for which the employer would not 64 compensate the individual to the individual’s normal weekly 65 hours of work. The benefit amount, if not a multiple of $1, is 66 rounded downward to the next lower multiple of $1. 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.