Senate Bill 1996 (2021) — Unemployment compensation
SB 1996
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1996 By Senator Pizzo 38-01922-21 20211996__ Page 1 of 3 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to unemployment compensation; amending 2 s. 443.111, F.S.; increasing the weekly benefit 3 amounts an individual may receive; conforming 4 provisions to changes made by the act; reenacting ss. 5 443.041(2)(
b) and 443.1116(6), (7), and (8)(a), F.S., 6 relating to fees and short-term compensation, 7 respectively, to incorporate the amendments made to s. 8 443.111, F.S., in references thereto; providing an 9 effective date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13
Section 1. Subsection (3) and paragraph (
b) of subsection 14 (5) of
section 443.111, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 15 443.111 Payment of benefits.— 16
(3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An individual’s “weekly benefit 17 amount” is an amount equal to one twenty-sixth of the total 18 wages for insured work paid during that quarter of the base 19 period in which the total wages paid were the highest, but not 20 less than $32 or more than the product of the Florida minimum 21 wage as defined in s. 448.109(1) multiplied by 40 $275. The 22 weekly benefit amount, if not a multiple of $1, is rounded 23 downward to the nearest full dollar amount. The maximum weekly 24 benefit amount in effect at the time the claimant establishes an 25 individual weekly benefit amount is the maximum benefit amount 26 applicable throughout the claimant’s benefit year. 27
(5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.— 28 (
b) Each otherwise eligible individual is entitled during 29 Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1996 38-01922-21 20211996__ Page 2 of 3 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 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 $6,325 or the product arrived at by multiplying the 32 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
Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 38 made by this act to
section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a 39 reference thereto, paragraph (
b) of subsection (2) of
section 40 443.041, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read: 41 443.041 Waiver of rights; fees; privileged communications.— 42
(2) FEES.— 43 (
b) An attorney at law representing a claimant for benefits 44 in any district court of appeal of this state or in the Supreme 45 Court of Florida is entitled to counsel fees payable by the 46 department as set by the court if the petition for review or 47 appeal is initiated by the claimant and results in a decision 48 awarding more benefits than provided in the decision from which 49 appeal was taken. The amount of the fee may not exceed 50 50 percent of the total amount of regular benefits permitted under 51 s. 443.111(5)(
b) during the benefit year. 52
Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 53 made by this act to
section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a 54 reference thereto, subsections (6) and (7) and paragraph (
a) of 55 subsection (8) of
section 443.1116, Florida Statutes, are 56 reenacted to read: 57 443.1116 Short-time compensation.— 58 Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1996 38-01922-21 20211996__ Page 3 of 3 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
(6) WEEKLY SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFIT AMOUNT.—The 59 weekly short-time compensation benefit amount payable to an 60 individual is equal to the product of her or his weekly benefit 61 amount as provided in s. 443.111(3) and the ratio of the number 62 of normal weekly hours of work for which the employer would not 63 compensate the individual to the individual’s normal weekly 64 hours of work. The benefit amount, if not a multiple of $1, is 65 rounded downward to the next lower multiple of $1. 66
(7) TOTAL SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An 67 individual may not be paid benefits under this
section in any 68 benefit year for more than the maximum entitlement provided in 69 s. 443.111(5), and an individual may not be paid short-time 70 compensation benefits for more than 26 weeks in any benefit 71 year. 72
(8) EFFECT OF SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFITS RELATING TO 73 THE PAYMENT OF REGULAR AND EXTENDED BENEFITS.— 74 (
a) The short-time compensation benefits paid to an 75 individual shall be deducted from the total benefit amount 76 established for that individual in s. 443.111(5). 77