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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 24, 2015 04:17 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mark Mustio |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Unemployment Compensation Solvency |
| In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to address an unintended consequence of Act 60 of 2012, the Unemployment Compensation (UC) solvency bill. Specifically, this legislation will ensure that workers – particularly seasonal construction workers – will not be rendered ineligible for benefits because they work compulsory overtime and/or earn too much in the highest quarter of their UC base year. As you may know, Act 60 requires workers to earn at least 49.5% of their total base year wages outside of their highest quarter. While this change sought to reduce eligibility for workers who are not attached to the workforce, this change has in fact had the opposite effect – it penalizes workers who work too much. Although many of these workers have earned the required number of credit weeks and have earned sufficient wages to qualify for benefits, they find that they have placed themselves out of qualification for UC because of overtime earnings during their busy season. Accordingly, my legislation will correct this problem for workers who would have otherwise qualified for UC benefits (without excessive earnings in their high quarter) by eliminating the 49.5% requirement if they earn the maximum base year and high quarter wages required to secure benefits. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this important bill. |
Introduced as HB1061