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: 17 443.111Payment of benefits. 18 (3)WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT.An individuals 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 claimants 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 states 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 states average unemployment rate 44 above 5 percent. 45 3.Up to a maximum of 23 weeks if this states 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: 51 443.041Waiver 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: 67 443.1116Short-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.