PRINTER'S NO. 3054
No. 2231 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY VEON, DeWEESE, BELFANTI, GEORGE, BELARDI, CALTAGIRONE, TRICH, SANTONI, SCRIMENTI, LaGROTTA, LUCYK, ROBINSON, SURRA, CAPPELLI, GRUCELA, LEVDANSKY, RIEGER, MELIO, STABACK, WANSACZ, MUNDY, YOUNGBLOOD, TRELLO, LESCOVITZ, SOLOBAY, D. EVANS, CORRIGAN, CRUZ, LAUGHLIN, FREEMAN, KIRKLAND, STEELMAN, McGEEHAN, COLAFELLA, DALEY, BEBKO-JONES, WOJNAROSKI, ROONEY, PETRONE, JOSEPHS, YUDICHAK, TIGUE, COSTA, STURLA, TANGRETTI, DeLUCA, HARHAI, SHANER, CURRY, WALKO, BISHOP, McCALL, READSHAW, BUXTON, RUFFING, WASHINGTON, JAMES, COY, THOMAS, TRAVAGLIO, PALLONE, J. WILLIAMS, HORSEY, STETLER, PISTELLA, PIPPY AND G. WRIGHT, DECEMBER 11, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, DECEMBER 11, 2001
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 2 P.L.2897, No.1), entitled "An act establishing a system of 3 unemployment compensation to be administered by the 4 Department of Labor and Industry and its existing and newly 5 created agencies with personnel (with certain exceptions) 6 selected on a civil service basis; requiring employers to 7 keep records and make reports, and certain employers to pay 8 contributions based on payrolls to provide moneys for the 9 payment of compensation to certain unemployed persons; 10 providing procedure and administrative details for the 11 determination, payment and collection of such contributions 12 and the payment of such compensation; providing for 13 cooperation with the Federal Government and its agencies; 14 creating certain special funds in the custody of the State 15 Treasurer; and prescribing penalties," providing for extended 16 coverage for workers who became unemployed as a result of the 17 tragedies of September 11, 2001, and for workers who were 18 eligible for benefits as of September 1, 2001, as a result of 19 downturns in the economy. 20 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 21 hereby enacts as follows: 22 Section 1. Section 404 of the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd
1 Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment 2 Compensation Law, is amended by adding a subsection to read: 3 Section 404. Rate and Amount of Compensation.--Compensation 4 shall be paid to each eligible employe in accordance with the 5 following provisions of this section except that compensation 6 payable with respect to weeks ending in benefit years which 7 begin prior to the first day of January 1989 shall be paid on 8 the basis of the provisions of this section in effect at the 9 beginning of such benefit years. 10 * * * 11 (h) Notwithstanding the current periods of payment of 12 unemployment compensation: 13 (1) Every dislocated worker shall be granted and guaranteed 14 a minimum of fifty-two (52) weeks unemployment compensation 15 benefits including any extended benefits provided by the Federal 16 Government for this purpose, retroactive to September 1, 2001. 17 (2) Workers who are dislocated workers directly as a result 18 of the national tragedy on September 11, 2001, or downturns in 19 the economy resulting from the national tragedy on September 11, 20 2001, shall also be eligible for an additional twenty-six (26) 21 weeks of unemployment compensation while in a job training 22 program that meets criteria established by the Department of 23 Labor and Industry. 24 (3) The waiting period for the commencement of payments is 25 waived for payments under paragraphs (1) and (2). 26 (4) Workers who are eligible for unemployment compensation 27 benefits as a result of downturns in the economy who were 28 otherwise eligible for benefits on September 1, 2001, shall 29 continue to be eligible for benefits for an additional thirteen 30 (13) weeks for the period September 1, 2001, to September 30, 20010H2231B3054 - 2 -
1 2002. 2 (5) The benefit increases under this subsection are 3 contingent on the availability of Federal funds to pay for the 4 increases. 5 (6) For the purposes of this subsection, "dislocated worker" 6 shall mean a worker determined by the Department of Labor and 7 Industry to have become unemployed as a direct result of the 8 national tragedy on September 11, 2001, or downturns in the 9 economy resulting from the national tragedy on September 11, 10 2001, and workers determined by the department to have lost 11 their jobs as a result of downturns in the economy who were 12 otherwise eligible for unemployment compensation as of September 13 1, 2001. 14 Section 2. The provisions of section 404(h) of the act shall 15 expire on December 31, 2003. 16 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. K2L43JLW/20010H2231B3054 - 3 -