Connecticut 2013 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06372 Compare Versions

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11 General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6372
22 January Session, 2013 LCO No. 2912
33 *02912_______LAB*
44 Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
55 Introduced by:
66 (LAB)
77
88 General Assembly
99
1010 Raised Bill No. 6372
1111
1212 January Session, 2013
1313
1414 LCO No. 2912
1515
1616 *02912_______LAB*
1717
1818 Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
1919
2020 Introduced by:
2121
2222 (LAB)
2323
2424 AN ACT CONCERNING THE REQUIREMENT FOR ELECTRONIC FILING OF QUARTERLY UNEMPLOYMENT TAX RETURNS.
2525
2626 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
2727
2828 Section 1. Section 31-225a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2014):
2929
3030 (a) As used in this chapter, "qualified employer" means each employer subject to this chapter whose experience record has been chargeable with benefits for at least one full experience year, with the exception of employers subject to a flat entry rate of contributions as provided under subsection (d) of this section, employers subject to the maximum contribution rate under subsection (c) of section 31-273, and reimbursing employers; "contributing employer" means an employer who is assigned a percentage rate of contribution under the provisions of this section; "reimbursing employer" means an employer liable for payments in lieu of contributions as provided under section 31-225; "benefit charges" means the amount of benefit payments charged to an employer's experience account under this section; "computation date" means June thirtieth of the year preceding the tax year for which the contribution rates are computed; "tax year" means the calendar year immediately following the computation date; "experience year" means the twelve consecutive months ending on June thirtieth; and "experience period" means the three consecutive experience years ending on the computation date, except that if the employer's account has been chargeable with benefits for less than three years, the experience period shall consist of the greater of one or two consecutive experience years ending on the computation date.
3131
3232 (b) (1) The administrator shall maintain for each employer, except reimbursing employers, an experience account in accordance with the provisions of this section. (2) With respect to each benefit year commencing on or after July 1, 1978, regular and additional benefits paid to an individual shall be allocated and charged to the accounts of the employers who paid him wages in his base period in accordance with the following provisions: The initial determination establishing a claimant's weekly benefit rate and maximum total benefits for his benefit year shall include, with respect to such claimant and such benefit year, a determination of the maximum liability for such benefits of each employer who paid wages to the claimant in his base period. An employer's maximum total liability for such benefits with respect to a claimant's benefit year shall bear the same ratio to the maximum total benefits payable to the claimant as the total wages paid by the employer to the claimant within his base period bears to the total wages paid by all employers to the claimant within his base period. This ratio shall also be applied to each benefit payment. The amount thus determined, rounded to the nearest dollar with fractions of a dollar of exactly fifty cents rounded upward, shall be charged to the employer's account.
3333
3434 (c) (1) (A) Any week for which the employer has compensated the claimant in the form of wages in lieu of notice, dismissal payments or any similar payment for loss of wages shall be considered a week of employment for the purpose of determining employer chargeability. (B) No benefits shall be charged to any employer who paid wages of five hundred dollars or less to the claimant in his base period. (C) No dependency allowance paid to a claimant shall be charged to any employer. (D) In the event of a natural disaster declared by the President of the United States, no benefits paid on the basis of total or partial unemployment which is the result of physical damage to a place of employment caused by severe weather conditions including, but not limited to, hurricanes, snow storms, ice storms or flooding, or fire except where caused by the employer, shall be charged to any employer. (E) If the administrator finds that (i) an individual's most recent separation from a base period employer occurred under conditions which would result in disqualification by reason of subdivision (2), (6) or (9) of subsection (a) of section 31-236, or (ii) an individual was discharged for violating an employer's drug testing policy, provided the policy has been adopted and applied consistent with sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, section 14-261b and any applicable federal law, no benefits paid thereafter to such individual with respect to any week of unemployment which is based upon wages paid by such employer with respect to employment prior to such separation shall be charged to such employer's account, provided such employer shall have filed a notice with the administrator within the time allowed for appeal in section 31-241. (F) No base period employer's account shall be charged with respect to benefits paid to a claimant if such employer continues to employ such claimant at the time the employer's account would otherwise have been charged to the same extent that he employed him during the individual's base period, provided the employer shall notify the administrator within the time allowed for appeal in section 31-241. (G) If a claimant has failed to accept suitable employment under the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 31-236 and the disqualification has been imposed, the account of the employer who makes an offer of employment to a claimant who was a former employee shall not be charged with any benefit payments made to such claimant after such initial offer of reemployment until such time as such claimant resumes employment with such employer, provided such employer shall make application therefor in a form acceptable to the administrator. The administrator shall notify such employer whether or not his application is granted. Any decision of the administrator denying suspension of charges as herein provided may be appealed within the time allowed for appeal in section 31-241. (H) Fifty per cent of benefits paid to a claimant under the federal-state extended duration unemployment benefits program established by the federal Employment Security Act shall be charged to the experience accounts of the claimant's base period employers in the same manner as the regular benefits paid for such benefit year. (I) No base period employer's account shall be charged with respect to benefits paid to a claimant who voluntarily left suitable work with such employer (i) to care for a seriously ill spouse, parent or child or (ii) due to the discontinuance of the transportation used by the claimant to get to and from work, as provided in subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (A)(iii) of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 31-236.
3535
3636 (2) All benefits paid which are not charged to any employer shall be pooled.
3737
3838 (3) The noncharging provisions of this chapter, except subdivisions (1)(D) and (1)(F) of this subsection, shall not apply to reimbursing employers.
3939
4040 (d) The standard rate of contributions shall be five and four-tenths per cent. Each employer who has not been chargeable with benefits, for a sufficient period of time to have his rate computed under this section shall pay contributions at a rate that is the higher of (1) one per cent, or (2) the state's five-year benefit cost rate. For purposes of this subsection, the state's five-year benefit cost rate shall be computed annually on or before June thirtieth and shall be derived by dividing the total dollar amount of benefits paid to claimants under this chapter during the five consecutive calendar years immediately preceding the computation date by the five-year payroll during the same period. If the resulting quotient is not an exact multiple of one-tenth of one per cent, the five-year benefit cost rate shall be the next higher such multiple.
4141
4242 (e) (1) As of each June thirtieth, the administrator shall determine the charged tax rate for each qualified employer. Said rate shall be obtained by calculating a benefit ratio for each qualified employer. The employer's benefit ratio shall be the quotient obtained by dividing the total amount chargeable to the employer's experience account during the experience period by the total of his taxable wages during such experience period which have been reported by the employer to the administrator on or before the following September thirtieth. The resulting quotient, expressed as a per cent, shall constitute the employer's charged tax rate. If the resulting quotient is not an exact multiple of one-tenth of one per cent, the charged rate shall be the next higher such multiple, except that if the resulting quotient is less than five-tenths of one per cent, the charged rate shall be five-tenths of one per cent and if the resulting quotient is greater than five and four-tenths per cent, the charged rate shall be five and four-tenths per cent. The employer's charged tax rate will be in accordance with the following table:
4343
4444
4545
4646
4747 T1 Employer's Charged Tax Rate Table
4848 T2 Employer's Charged
4949 T3 Employer's Benefit Ratio Tax Rate
5050 T4 .005 or less .5% minimum subject
5151 T5 .006 .6% to fund
5252 T6 .007 .7% solvency
5353 T7 .008 .8% adjustment
5454 T8 .009 .9%
5555 T9 .010 1.0%
5656 T10 .011 1.1%
5757 T11 .012 1.2%
5858 T12 .013 1.3%
5959 T13 .014 1.4%
6060 T14 .015 1.5%
6161 T15 .016 1.6%
6262 T16 .017 1.7%
6363 T17 .018 1.8%
6464 T18 .019 1.9%
6565 T19 .020 2.0%
6666 T20 .021 2.1%
6767 T21 .022 2.2%
6868 T22 .023 2.3%
6969 T23 .024 2.4%
7070 T24 .025 2.5%
7171 T25 .026 2.6%
7272 T26 .027 2.7%
7373 T27 .028 2.8%
7474 T28 .029 2.9%
7575 T29 .030 3.0%
7676 T30 .031 3.1%
7777 T31 .032 3.2%
7878 T32 .033 3.3%
7979 T33 .034 3.4%
8080 T34 .035 3.5%
8181 T35 .036 3.6%
8282 T36 .037 3.7%
8383 T37 .038 3.8%
8484 T38 .039 3.9%
8585 T39 .040 4.0%
8686 T40 .041 4.1%
8787 T41 .042 4.2%
8888 T42 .043 4.3%
8989 T43 .044 4.4%
9090 T44 .045 4.5%
9191 T45 .046 4.6%
9292 T46 .047 4.7%
9393 T47 .048 4.8%
9494 T48 .049 4.9%
9595 T49 .050 5.0%
9696 T50 .051 5.1%
9797 T51 .052 5.2%
9898 T52 .053 5.3%
9999 T53 .054 & higher 5.4% maximum subject
100100 T54 to fund solvency
101101 T55 adjustment
102102
103103 T1
104104
105105 Employer's Charged Tax Rate Table
106106
107107 T2
108108
109109 Employer's Charged
110110
111111 T3
112112
113113 Employer's Benefit Ratio
114114
115115 Tax Rate
116116
117117 T4
118118
119119 .005 or less
120120
121121 .5% minimum subject
122122
123123 T5
124124
125125 .006
126126
127127 .6% to fund
128128
129129 T6
130130
131131 .007
132132
133133 .7% solvency
134134
135135 T7
136136
137137 .008
138138
139139 .8% adjustment
140140
141141 T8
142142
143143 .009
144144
145145 .9%
146146
147147 T9
148148
149149 .010
150150
151151 1.0%
152152
153153 T10
154154
155155 .011
156156
157157 1.1%
158158
159159 T11
160160
161161 .012
162162
163163 1.2%
164164
165165 T12
166166
167167 .013
168168
169169 1.3%
170170
171171 T13
172172
173173 .014
174174
175175 1.4%
176176
177177 T14
178178
179179 .015
180180
181181 1.5%
182182
183183 T15
184184
185185 .016
186186
187187 1.6%
188188
189189 T16
190190
191191 .017
192192
193193 1.7%
194194
195195 T17
196196
197197 .018
198198
199199 1.8%
200200
201201 T18
202202
203203 .019
204204
205205 1.9%
206206
207207 T19
208208
209209 .020
210210
211211 2.0%
212212
213213 T20
214214
215215 .021
216216
217217 2.1%
218218
219219 T21
220220
221221 .022
222222
223223 2.2%
224224
225225 T22
226226
227227 .023
228228
229229 2.3%
230230
231231 T23
232232
233233 .024
234234
235235 2.4%
236236
237237 T24
238238
239239 .025
240240
241241 2.5%
242242
243243 T25
244244
245245 .026
246246
247247 2.6%
248248
249249 T26
250250
251251 .027
252252
253253 2.7%
254254
255255 T27
256256
257257 .028
258258
259259 2.8%
260260
261261 T28
262262
263263 .029
264264
265265 2.9%
266266
267267 T29
268268
269269 .030
270270
271271 3.0%
272272
273273 T30
274274
275275 .031
276276
277277 3.1%
278278
279279 T31
280280
281281 .032
282282
283283 3.2%
284284
285285 T32
286286
287287 .033
288288
289289 3.3%
290290
291291 T33
292292
293293 .034
294294
295295 3.4%
296296
297297 T34
298298
299299 .035
300300
301301 3.5%
302302
303303 T35
304304
305305 .036
306306
307307 3.6%
308308
309309 T36
310310
311311 .037
312312
313313 3.7%
314314
315315 T37
316316
317317 .038
318318
319319 3.8%
320320
321321 T38
322322
323323 .039
324324
325325 3.9%
326326
327327 T39
328328
329329 .040
330330
331331 4.0%
332332
333333 T40
334334
335335 .041
336336
337337 4.1%
338338
339339 T41
340340
341341 .042
342342
343343 4.2%
344344
345345 T42
346346
347347 .043
348348
349349 4.3%
350350
351351 T43
352352
353353 .044
354354
355355 4.4%
356356
357357 T44
358358
359359 .045
360360
361361 4.5%
362362
363363 T45
364364
365365 .046
366366
367367 4.6%
368368
369369 T46
370370
371371 .047
372372
373373 4.7%
374374
375375 T47
376376
377377 .048
378378
379379 4.8%
380380
381381 T48
382382
383383 .049
384384
385385 4.9%
386386
387387 T49
388388
389389 .050
390390
391391 5.0%
392392
393393 T50
394394
395395 .051
396396
397397 5.1%
398398
399399 T51
400400
401401 .052
402402
403403 5.2%
404404
405405 T52
406406
407407 .053
408408
409409 5.3%
410410
411411 T53
412412
413413 .054 & higher
414414
415415 5.4% maximum subject
416416
417417 T54
418418
419419 to fund solvency
420420
421421 T55
422422
423423 adjustment
424424
425425 (2) (A) Each contributing employer subject to this chapter shall pay an assessment to the administrator at a rate established by the administrator sufficient to pay interest due on advances from the federal unemployment account under Title XII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S. Code Sections 1321 to 1324). The administrator shall establish the necessary procedures for payment of such assessments. The amounts received by the administrator based on such assessments shall be paid over to the State Treasurer and credited to the General Fund. Any amount remaining from such assessments, after all such federal interest charges have been paid, shall be transferred to the Employment Security Administration Fund or to the Unemployment Compensation Advance Fund established under section 31-264a, (i) to the extent that any federal interest charges have been paid from the Unemployment Compensation Advance Fund, (ii) to the extent that the administrator determines that reimbursement is appropriate, or (iii) otherwise to the extent that reimbursement of the advance fund is the appropriate accounting principle governing the use of the assessments. Sections 31-265 to 31-274, inclusive, shall apply to the collection of such assessments.
426426
427427 (B) On and after January 1, 1994, and conditioned upon the issuance of any revenue bonds pursuant to section 31-264b, each contributing employer shall also pay an assessment to the administrator at a rate established by the administrator sufficient to pay the interest due on advances from the Unemployment Compensation Advance Fund and reimbursements required for advances from the Unemployment Compensation Advance Fund, computed in accordance with subsection (h) of section 31-264a. The administrator shall establish the assessments as a percentage of the charged tax rate for each employer pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. The administrator shall establish the necessary procedures for billing, payment and collection of the assessments. Sections 31-265 to 31-274, inclusive, shall apply to the collection of such assessments by the administrator. The payments received by the administrator based on the assessments, excluding interest and penalties on past due assessments, are hereby pledged and shall be paid over to the State Treasurer for credit to the Unemployment Compensation Advance Fund.
428428
429429 (f) (1) For each calendar year commencing with calendar year 1994 but prior to calendar year 2013, the administrator shall establish a fund balance tax rate sufficient to maintain a balance in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund equal to eight-tenths of one per cent of the total wages paid to workers covered under this chapter by contributing employers during the year ending the last preceding June thirtieth. If the fund balance tax rate established by the administrator results in a fund balance in excess of said per cent as of December thirtieth of any year, the administrator shall, in the year next following, establish a fund balance tax rate sufficient to eliminate the fund balance in excess of said per cent. For each calendar year commencing with calendar year 2013, the administrator shall establish a fund balance tax rate sufficient to maintain a balance in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund that results in an average high cost multiple equal to 0.5. Commencing with calendar year 2014 and ending with calendar year 2018, the administrator shall establish a fund balance tax rate sufficient to maintain a balance in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund that results in an average high cost multiple that is increased by 0.1 from the preceding calendar year. Commencing with calendar year 2019, the administrator shall establish a fund balance tax rate sufficient to maintain a balance in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund that results in an average high cost multiple equal to 1.0. If the fund balance tax rate established by the administrator results in a fund balance in excess of the amount prescribed in this subdivision as of December thirtieth of any year, the administrator shall, in the year next following, establish a fund balance rate sufficient to eliminate the fund balance in excess of said amount. The assessment levied by the administrator at any time (A) during a calendar year commencing on or after January 1, 1994, but prior to January 1, 1999, shall not exceed one and five-tenths per cent, (B) during a calendar year commencing on or after January 1, 1999, shall not exceed one and four-tenths per cent, and shall not be calculated to result in a fund balance in excess of eight-tenths of one per cent of such total wages, and (C) during a calendar year commencing on or after January 1, 2013, shall not exceed one and four-tenths per cent and shall not be calculated to result in a fund balance in excess of the amounts prescribed in this subdivision.
430430
431431 (2) The average high cost multiple shall be computed as follows: The result of the balance of the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund on December thirtieth immediately preceding the new rate year divided by the total wages paid to workers covered under this chapter by contributing employers for the twelve months ending on the December thirtieth immediately preceding the new rate year shall be the numerator and the average of the three highest calendar benefit cost rates in (A) the last twenty years, or (B) a period including the last three recessions, whichever is longer, shall be the denominator. Benefit cost rates are computed as benefits paid including the state's share of extended benefits but excluding reimbursable benefits as a per cent of total wages in covered employment. The results rounded to the next lower one decimal place will be the average high cost multiple.
432432
433433 (g) Each qualified employer's contribution rate for each calendar year after 1973 shall be a percentage rate equal to the sum of his charged tax rate as of the June thirtieth preceding such calendar year and the fund balance tax rate as of December thirtieth preceding such calendar year.
434434
435435 (h) (1) With respect to each benefit year commencing on or after July 1, 1978, notice of determination of the claimant's benefit entitlement for such benefit year shall include notice of the allocation of benefit charges of the claimant's base period employers and each such employer shall be mailed a copy of such notice of determination and shall be an interested party thereto. Such determination shall be final unless the claimant or any of such employers files an appeal from such decision in accordance with the provisions of section 31-241. (2) The administrator shall, not less frequently than once each calendar quarter, mail a statement of charges to each employer to whose experience record any charges have been made since the last previous such statement. Such statement shall show, with respect to each week for which benefits have been paid and charged, the name and Social Security account number of the claimant who was paid the benefit, the amount of the benefits charged for such week and the total amount charged in the quarter. (3) The statement of charges provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection shall constitute notice to the employer that it has been determined that the benefits reported in such statement were properly payable under this chapter to the claimants for the weeks and in the amounts shown in such statements. If the employer contends that benefits have been improperly charged due to fraud or error, a written protest setting forth reasons therefor shall be filed with the administrator within sixty days of the mailing date of the quarterly statement. An eligibility issue shall not be reopened on the basis of such quarterly statement if notification of such eligibility issue had previously been given to the employer under the provisions of section 31-241, and he failed to file a timely appeal therefrom or had the issue finally resolved against him.
436436
437437 (i) (1) At the written request of any employer which holds at least eighty per cent controlling interest in another employer or employers, the administrator may mingle the experience rating records of such dominant and controlled employers as if they constituted a single employer, subject to such regulations as the administrator may make and publish concerning the establishment, conduct and dissolution of such joint experience rating records. (2) The executors, administrators, successors or assigns of any former employer shall acquire the experience rating records of the predecessor employer with the following exception: The experience of a predecessor employer, who leased premises and equipment from a third party and who has not transferred any assets to the successor, shall not be transferred if there is no common controlling interest in the predecessor and successor entities. (3) The administrator is authorized to establish such regulations governing joint accounts as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of the federal Unemployment Tax Act.
438438
439439 (j) (1) Each employer subject to this chapter shall submit quarterly, on forms supplied by the administrator, a listing of wage information, including the name of each employee receiving wages in employment subject to this chapter, such employee's Social Security account number and the amount of wages paid to such employee during such calendar quarter.
440440
441441 (2) Commencing with the first calendar quarter of [1991] 2014, each employer subject to this chapter who reports wages for [two hundred fifty or more] employees receiving wages in employment subject to this chapter, and each person or organization that, as an agent, reports wages for [a total of two hundred fifty or more] employees receiving wages in employment subject to this chapter on behalf of one or more employers subject to this chapter shall submit quarterly the information required by subdivision (1) of this subsection on magnetic tape, diskette, or other similar electronic means which the administrator may prescribe, in a format prescribed by the administrator, unless such employer or agent demonstrates to the satisfaction of the administrator that it lacks the technological capability to report such information in accordance with this subdivision.
442442
443443 (3) Any employer that fails to submit the information required by subdivision (1) of this subsection in a timely manner, as determined by the administrator, shall be liable to the administrator for a late filing fee of twenty-five dollars. All fees collected by the administrator under this subdivision shall be deposited in the Employment Security Administration Fund.
444444
445445 (4) Commencing with the first calendar quarter of [2009] 2014, each employer subject to this chapter who makes contributions or payments in lieu of contributions for [two hundred fifty or more] employees receiving wages in employment subject to this chapter, and each person or organization that, as an agent, makes contributions or payments in lieu of contributions for [a total of two hundred fifty or more] employees receiving wages in employment subject to this chapter on behalf of one or more employers subject to this chapter shall make such contributions or payments in lieu of contributions electronically.
446446
447447 (k) The employer may inspect his account records in the office of the Employment Security Division at any reasonable time.
448448
449449
450450
451451
452452 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
453453 Section 1 January 1, 2014 31-225a
454454
455455 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
456456
457457 Section 1
458458
459459 January 1, 2014
460460
461461 31-225a
462462
463463 Statement of Purpose:
464464
465465 To require each employer, person or organization employing one or more employees to electronically file and pay quarterly unemployment tax returns.
466466
467467 [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]