HP1352, LD 1832, item 1, An Act To Increase the Amount of Time an Employer May Employ an Employee without Being Charged for Unemployment Benefits

An Act To Increase the Amount of Time an Employer May Employ an Employee without Being Charged for Unemployment Benefits

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1221, sub-§3, ¶C, as amended by PL 1965, c. 381, §19, is further amended to read:

C. For the purposes of paragraph A, the experience rating record of the most recent subject employer shall may not be charged with benefits paid to a claimant whose work record with such employer totaled 5 6 consecutive weeks or less of total or partial employment, but in such case the most recent subject employer with whom claimant's work record exceeded 5 6 consecutive weeks of total or partial employment shall must be charged, if such employer would have otherwise been chargeable had not subsequent employment intervened.

This paragraph is repealed March 14, 2014.

Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §1221, sub-§3, ¶C-1 is enacted to read:

C-1. Beginning March 14, 2014, for the purposes of paragraph A, the experience rating record of the most recent subject employer may not be charged with benefits paid to a claimant whose work record with such employer totaled 5 consecutive weeks or less of total or partial employment, but in such case the most recent subject employer with whom the claimant's work record exceeded 5 consecutive weeks of total or partial employment must be charged, if such employer would have otherwise been chargeable had not subsequent employment intervened.

Sec. 3. Report. The Commissioner of Labor shall submit a report by December 15, 2013 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters on the effect of the change made pursuant to this Act, specifically with regard to increasing the number of weeks to 6 for which an individual can work for an employer before the employer becomes potentially chargeable for unemployment benefits paid upon separation of that work. In addition to reporting the total impact of the change to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, the report must include the impact on the number of employers affected and on prior employers who are charged for any ensuing benefits as a result of this change, as well as the impact on all employers if the costs are spread out among all employers. The commissioner shall include any employer comments received pertaining to this change.

The joint standing committee is authorized to introduce a bill related to the commissioner's report to the Second Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.

Sec. 4. Effective date. That section of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 1221, subsection 3, paragraph C-1 takes effect March 14, 2014.

Summary

This bill is submitted by the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development pursuant to Resolve 2011, chapter 85. The bill changes from 5 weeks to 6 weeks the amount of time an employer may employ an employee without being charged for unemployment benefits; it also establishes a repeal date of March 14, 2014 for that change.

The bill enacts, beginning March 14, 2014, a reversion back to 5 weeks of the amount of time an employer may employ an employee without being charged for unemployment benefits.

The bill requires a report from the Commissioner of Labor to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters, which is authorized to introduce a bill.

HP1352 LD 1832	Second Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature		LR 2753 Item 1
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