Senate Bill sb0196
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 196
By Senator Wasserman Schultz
34-133-04
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to economic recovery; providing
3 legislative intent; providing criteria,
4 requirements, and limitations on certain
5 training; providing for power and authority of
6 the Agency for Workforce Innovation; providing
7 requirements for expenditure of certain funds;
8 amending s. 443.036, F.S.; providing a
9 definition and an application of an alternative
10 base period; providing requirements and
11 limitations; specifying, for a limited time
12 period, alternative time periods and amounts of
13 certain payments, an increase in weekly benefit
14 amounts, and waiver of a waiting period for
15 certain individuals for unemployment
16 compensation purposes; providing an effective
17 date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. The Legislature finds that businesses and
22 individuals in this state are experiencing significant
23 economic hardship and that revenues critical to the delivery
24 of vital public services are jeopardized. Therefore, it is the
25 intent of the Legislature to establish policies designed to
26 stimulate economic activity in this state and promote the
27 economic security of the residents of this state. The need to
28 retain and create jobs in this state in the current economic
29 environment is great. A significant investment of state funds
30 in reemployment and retraining programs is essential to
31 economic recovery in this state. The state should invest in
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 196
34-133-04
1 economic-recovery training programs that deliver a high
2 expectation of continued employment after a reasonably short
3 period of training is completed. Economic-recovery training
4 funds should be expended on programs that enhance the skills
5 of residents of this state who are employed by businesses
6 based in this state.
7 Section 2. Economic-recovery training shall be awarded
8 to providers of training services on a competitive-bid basis
9 and shall receive continued support on a performance-based
10 schedule not to exceed 12 months. Training agreements may not
11 be continued with employers who demonstrate a pattern of
12 failing to provide participants with employment. The Agency
13 for Workforce Innovation and its controlling board, Workforce
14 Florida, Inc., shall have power and authority over the use of
15 economic-recovery training funds pursuant to this act, and
16 such funds shall be expended in accordance with the provisions
17 of chapter 445, Florida Statutes.
18 Section 3. Subsection (7) of section 443.036, Florida
19 Statutes, is amended to read:
20 443.036 Definitions.--As used in this chapter, the
21 term:
22 (7)(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 after
26 October 1, 2004, if an individual is not monetarily eligible
27 in his or her base period to qualify for benefits, the Agency
28 for Workforce Innovation must designate his or her base period
29 to be the alternative base period. As used in this paragraph,
30 the term "alternative base period" means the last four
31 completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 196
34-133-04
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 input into the agency's database, the agency shall
7 request such information from the employer. An employer must
8 respond to the wage request within 10 days after receiving a
9 request from the agency. If the employer fails to provide the
10 requested wage information within the required time, the
11 employer is subject to the penalty for delinquent reports
12 provided in s. 443.141(1)(b).
13 (c) For monetary determinations based upon the
14 alternative base period under paragraph (b), if the agency is
15 unable to access the wage information through its database,
16 the agency may base the determination of eligibility for
17 benefits on an affidavit submitted by the individual with
18 respect to wages for those calendar quarters. The individual
19 must furnish payroll information, if available, in support of
20 the affidavit. A determination of benefits based upon an
21 alternative base period shall be adjusted when the quarterly
22 report of wage information from the employer is received, if
23 that information causes a change in the determination.
24 Section 4. (1) Notwithstanding section 443.091(1)(e),
25 Florida Statutes, the waiting period of 1 week shall be waived
26 for unemployed individuals eligible to receive benefits.
27 (2) Notwithstanding section 443.111(1), Florida
28 Statutes, the initial payment of unemployment compensation
29 benefits shall be for 1 week of compensation and subsequent
30 compensation shall occur biweekly.
31
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 196
34-133-04
1 (3) Notwithstanding section 443.111(3), Florida
2 Statutes, the weekly benefit amount for any individual shall
3 be increased by the greater of $25 or 15 percent.
4 (4) This section expires June 30, 2006.
5 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.
6
7 *****************************************
8 SENATE SUMMARY
9 Provides legislative intent for economic-recovery
measures. Provides criteria, requirements, and
10 limitations for economic-recovery training. Provides for
use of an alternative base period whenever an individual
11 is not monetarily eligible in a base period to receive
unemployment compensation benefits. Specifies alternative
12 time periods and amounts of payments of unemployment
compensation, an increase in weekly benefit amounts for
13 unemployment compensation purposes, and a waiver of a
waiting period for unemployed individuals eligible to
14 receive benefits. (See bill for details.)
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.