Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1484
By Senator Bracy
11-01523-22 20221484__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to reemployment assistance; amending
3 s. 443.111, F.S.; increasing the maximum weekly and
4 yearly benefit amounts for reemployment assistance;
5 increasing the duration of such benefits; reenacting
6 ss. 443.041(2)(b) and 443.1116(7) and (8)(a), F.S.,
7 relating to attorney fees and short-time 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 paragraphs (b) and (c) of
15 subsection (5) of section 443.111, Florida Statutes, are amended
16 to read:
17 443.111 Payment of benefits.—
18 (3) WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An individual’s “weekly benefit
19 amount” is an amount equal to one twenty-sixth of the total
20 wages for insured work paid during that quarter of the base
21 period in which the total wages paid were the highest, but not
22 less than $32 or more than $400 $275. The weekly benefit amount,
23 if not a multiple of $1, is rounded downward to the nearest full
24 dollar amount. The maximum weekly benefit amount in effect at
25 the time the claimant establishes an individual weekly benefit
26 amount is the maximum benefit amount applicable throughout the
27 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 $10,400 $6,325 or the product arrived at by multiplying
33 the 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 (c) For claims submitted during a calendar year, the
39 duration of benefits is limited to 26 weeks:
40 1. Twelve weeks if this state’s average unemployment rate
41 is at or below 5 percent.
42 2. An additional week in addition to the 12 weeks for each
43 0.5 percent increment in this state’s average unemployment rate
44 above 5 percent.
45 3. Up to a maximum of 23 weeks if this state’s average
46 unemployment rate equals or exceeds 10.5 percent.
47 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments
48 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in a
49 reference thereto, paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
50 443.041, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:
51 443.041 Waiver of rights; fees; privileged communications.—
52 (2) FEES.—
53 (b) An attorney at law representing a claimant for benefits
54 in any district court of appeal of this state or in the Supreme
55 Court of Florida is entitled to counsel fees payable by the
56 department as set by the court if the petition for review or
57 appeal is initiated by the claimant and results in a decision
58 awarding more benefits than provided in the decision from which
59 appeal was taken. The amount of the fee may not exceed 50
60 percent of the total amount of regular benefits permitted under
61 s. 443.111(5)(b) during the benefit year.
62 Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments
63 made by this act to section 443.111, Florida Statutes, in
64 references thereto, subsection (7) and paragraph (a) of
65 subsection (8) of section 443.1116, Florida Statutes, are
66 reenacted to read:
67 443.1116 Short-time compensation.—
68 (7) TOTAL SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFIT AMOUNT.—An
69 individual may not be paid benefits under this section in any
70 benefit year for more than the maximum entitlement provided in
71 s. 443.111(5), and an individual may not be paid short-time
72 compensation benefits for more than 26 weeks in any benefit
73 year.
74 (8) EFFECT OF SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION BENEFITS RELATING TO
75 THE PAYMENT OF REGULAR AND EXTENDED BENEFITS.—
76 (a) The short-time compensation benefits paid to an
77 individual shall be deducted from the total benefit amount
78 established for that individual in s. 443.111(5).
79 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.