This bill proposes significant changes to the duration of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits based on the unemployment rate (UR) from the previous calendar quarter. Under the current law, individuals are entitled to 24 weeks of benefits if the UR is less than 5 percent and 26 weeks if it is 5 percent or more. The bill would amend this to provide a tiered structure where individuals could receive benefits for as few as 12 weeks if the UR is 5 percent or less, and up to 26 weeks if the UR exceeds 8 percent.

The specific changes include a reduction in the number of weeks of benefits for lower unemployment rates, with new provisions allowing for 14 weeks for URs above 5 percent but not exceeding 5.5 percent, and additional increments up to 26 weeks for URs above 8 percent. The bill also introduces new language to replace the existing provisions, effectively deleting the previous structure and inserting the new tiered benefit durations. Overall, if enacted, this bill would tighten eligibility for UI benefits during periods of lower unemployment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 23-780
House Engrossed Version: 23-780