BILL NUMBER: S9382
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to authorizing a claimant to
receive a dependent allowance in addition to unemployment insurance
benefits
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subdivision 1 of section 590 of the labor law by adding
a new subdivision 13 which defines a "dependent" and states that an
unemployment benefit claimant with a dependent in the household will
also be entitled to a dependent allowance of 45 dollars per dependent
per week.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Unemployment insurance is a vital part of the social safety net that
allows workers and their families to meet their basic needs while
searching for work. A dependent allowance supplements a claimant's week-
ly unemployment insurance benefit based on their number of household
dependents. Studies show that households with children are much more
likely to face food and housing insecurity when a job is lost. House-
holds headed by a single mother have the highest rates of food insecuri-
ty, with nearly 24% experiencing low or very low food security in 2024.
Nondiscretionary expenses for caregivers - which include childcare,
groceries and diapers - are more expansive than those for households
without dependents. As a targeted intervention, dependent allowances can
help ensure that workers are able to support themselves and their fami-
lies while they are between jobs. As of 2021, 13 states offered some
version of a dependent allowance. However, variation in which household
members are considered "dependent", in addition to a lack of data
collection at the federal level, make it difficult to measure their
exact impact. Generally, unemployment insurance functions as an impor-
tant economic stabilizer, generating as much as $1.61 in economic activ
ity for every dollar spent. This bill offers an expansive definition of
dependent, including children, foster children and step children under
the age of 18, full time students up to the age of 26, non-working
adults in the household aged 60 and older, and adults with disabilities
- acknowledging the broad range of caregiving responsibilities that
workers experience.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S9382: 590 labor law