PRINTER'S NO. 1550
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1177
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY DUSH AND ROTHMAN, APRIL 22, 2024
REFERRED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY, APRIL 22, 2024
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," in administration of
16 act, further providing for State Unemployment Compensation
17 Advisory Counsel.
18 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
19 hereby enacts as follows:
20 Section 1. Section 204.1(k) introductory paragraph and (1)
21 of the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897,
22 No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, are amended
23 to read:
24 Section 204.1. State Unemployment Compensation Advisory
25 Council.--* * *
26 (k) The department shall also prepare and present to the
 1 Governor and the General Assembly, on or before the first day of
2 March of each year, an evaluation of the financial operations of
3 the unemployment compensation program, together with its
4 findings and recommendations for developing and improving
5 solvency of the fund and adjusting and regulating income and
6 disbursements in the fields of contributions and benefits. Such
7 report shall include the presentation of the current economic
8 trends, statistics and analyses on which the evaluation is
9 based. The department shall post a copy of the report on the
10 department's publicly accessible Internet website. This
11 evaluation shall include all of the following:
12 (1) Statistics relating to population, labor force and
13 covered labor force. The following shall apply:
14 (i) The following information shall be included in the
15 evaluation under this paragraph:
16 (A) Total number of individuals unemployed fifteen (15)
17 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force.
18 (B) Total number of job losers and individuals who completed
19 temporary employment, as a percent of the civilian labor force.
20 (C) Total number of individuals unemployed, as a percent of
21 the civilian labor force.
22 (D) Total number of individuals unemployed plus discouraged
23 workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus
24 discouraged workers.
25 (E) Total number of individuals unemployed, plus discouraged
26 workers, plus all other marginally attached workers, as a
27 percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached
28 workers.
29 (F) Total number of individuals unemployed, plus all
30 marginally attached workers, plus total number of individuals
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 1 employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the
2 civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.
3 (ii) As used in this paragraph, the following words and
4 phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
5 subparagraph:
6 "Civilian labor force." All individuals sixteen (16) years
7 of age or older who are classified as either employed or
8 unemployed.
9 "Discouraged worker." An individual who is:
10 (A) not in the labor force;
11 (B) wants, and is available for, employment; and
12 (C) has looked for employment some time in the prior twelve
13 (12) months but has not recently looked for employment for
14 reasons related to the job market.
15 "Employed." An individual who did any work at all for pay or
16 profit or worked fifteen (15) hours or more without pay in a
17 family business or on a farm, including an individual who is not
18 working but has employment from which the individual was
19 temporarily absent, whether or not paid, due to a labor-
20 management dispute, illness or vacation.
21 "Employed part time for economic reasons." An individual who
22 wants, and is available for, full-time employment but is
23 employed on a part-time schedule.
24 "Job loser." An individual who lost employment due to layoff
25 or other dismissal.
26 "Marginally attached worker." An individual who is currently
27 neither employed nor looking for employment but indicates a
28 desire for employment, is able to work and has looked for
29 employment in the past twelve (12) months.
30 "Unemployed." An individual who is not employed but has
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1 looked for employment in the last four (4) weeks and is
2 available to work.
3 * * *
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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