HOUSE AMENDMENT
                                                   Bill No. HB 9-E
    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)
                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW
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11  Representative(s) Frankel offered the following:
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13         Amendment (with title amendment) 
14         On page 2, between lines 13 and 14,
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16  insert:  
17         Section 3.  Subsection (7) of section 443.036, Florida
18  Statutes, is amended to read:
19         443.036  Definitions.--As used in this chapter, unless
20  the context clearly requires otherwise:
21         (7)  BASE PERIOD.--
22         (a)  "Base period" means the first four of the last
23  five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the
24  first day of an individual's benefit year.
25         (b)  With respect to a benefit year commencing on or
26  after October 1, 2002, if an individual is not monetarily
27  eligible in his or her base period to qualify for benefits,
28  the division must designate his or her base period to be the
29  alternative base period. As used in this paragraph, the term
30  "alternative base period" means the last four completed
31  calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an
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    File original & 9 copies    05/01/02                          
    hmo0011                     08:27 pm         E0009-0085-874907

HOUSE AMENDMENT Bill No. HB 9-E Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only) 1 individual's benefit year. Wages used in a base period to 2 establish a monetarily eligible benefit year may not be 3 applied to establish monetary eligibility in any succeeding 4 benefit year. If information regarding wages for the calendar 5 quarter or quarters immediately preceding the benefit year has 6 not been put into the division's mainframe database from the 7 regular quarterly reports of wage information or is otherwise 8 unavailable, the division shall request such information from 9 the employer. An employer must provide the requested wage 10 information within 10 days after receiving a request from the 11 division. An employer who fails to provide the requested wage 12 information within the required time is subject to the penalty 13 for delinquent reports in s. 443.141(1)(b). 14 (c) For monetary determinations based upon the 15 alternative base period under paragraph (b), if the division 16 is unable to access the wage information through the 17 division's mainframe database, the division may base the 18 determination of eligibility for benefits on an affidavit 19 submitted by the individual with respect to wages for those 20 calendar quarters. The individual must furnish payroll 21 information, if available, in support of the affidavit. A 22 determination of benefits based upon an alternative base 23 period shall be adjusted when the quarterly report of wage 24 information from the employer is received, if that information 25 causes a change in the determination. 26 Section 4. Subsection (3) and paragraph (a) of 27 subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are 28 amended to read: 29 443.111 Payment of benefits.-- 30 (3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.--An individual's "weekly 31 benefit amount" shall be an amount equal to one twenty-sixth 2 File original & 9 copies 05/01/02 hmo0011 08:27 pm E0009-0085-874907
HOUSE AMENDMENT Bill No. HB 9-E Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only) 1 of the total wages for insured work paid during that quarter 2 of the base period in which such total wages paid were the 3 highest, but not less than $32 or more than $275. For claims 4 with benefit years beginning October 1, 2002 January 1, 2000, 5 through December 31, 2000, an additional amount equal to $25 6 or 15 5 percent of the weekly benefit amount, whichever is 7 greater, shall be added for each the first 8 compensable week 8 weeks of benefits paid, not to exceed $316 $288. Such weekly 9 benefit amount, if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded 10 downward to the nearest full dollar amount. The maximum weekly 11 benefit amount in effect at the time the claimant establishes 12 an individual weekly benefit amount shall be the maximum 13 benefit amount applicable throughout the claimant's benefit 14 year. 15 (5) DURATION OF BENEFITS.-- 16 (a)1. Any otherwise eligible individual shall be 17 entitled during any benefit year to a total amount of benefits 18 equal to 25 percent of the total wages in the base period, not 19 to exceed $7,150. For claims with benefit years beginning 20 October 1, 2002 January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2000, an 21 additional amount equal to $650 or 15 5 percent of the weekly 22 benefit amount multiplied by 26, whichever is greater, 8 shall 23 be added to the calculated total amount of benefits, the sum 24 of which may not exceed $8,216 $7,254. However, such total 25 amount of benefits, if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded 26 downward to the nearest full dollar amount. Such benefits 27 shall be payable at a weekly rate no greater than the weekly 28 benefit amount. 29 2. For the purposes of this subsection, wages shall be 30 counted as "wages for insured work" for benefit purposes with 31 respect to any benefit year only if such benefit year begins 3 File original & 9 copies 05/01/02 hmo0011 08:27 pm E0009-0085-874907
HOUSE AMENDMENT Bill No. HB 9-E Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only) 1 subsequent to the date on which the employing unit by whom 2 such wages were paid has satisfied the conditions of this 3 chapter with respect to becoming an employer. 4 5 6 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T =============== 7 And the title is amended as follows: 8 On page 1, line 9, after the semicolon, 9 10 insert: 11 An act relating to economic recovery; providing 12 legislative intent; amending s. 443.036, F.S.; 13 providing a definition and an application of an 14 alternative base period; providing requirements 15 and limitations; requiring employers to respond 16 to requests for certain information and 17 providing a penalty for failing to respond; 18 providing for adjustments in determinations of 19 monetary eligibility; amending s. 443.111, 20 F.S.; providing an increase in weekly benefit 21 amounts for a limited time period; providing 22 the total amount of benefits; 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 4 File original & 9 copies 05/01/02 hmo0011 08:27 pm E0009-0085-874907