Bill > H0207

Introduced Session

An act relating to reemployment assistance; creating s. 443.013, F.S.; creating a Reemployment Assistance Ombudsman Office within the Department of Economic Opportunity; authorizing individuals seeking reemployment assistance benefits to contact the office for certain purposes; authorizing the office to assign an ombudsman to assist such individuals; requiring the office to annually review the reemployment assistance process and provide recommendations to the department; reenacting and amending s. 443.036, F.S.; defining the term "alternative base period"; revising the definitions of the terms "high quarter" and "unemployment," or "unemployed," to determine an alternative calendar quarter for calculating eligibility requirements and to specify circumstances under which individuals are considered partially unemployed, respectively; specifying that unemployment commences on the date of unemployment rather than after registering with the department; amending s. 443.091, F.S.; deleting a provision relating to department rules; requiring individuals to be informed of and offered services in writing through the one- stop delivery system; authorizing claimants to report to one-stop career centers for certain reasons by hb0207-00 HB 207 telephone or online in addition to reporting in person; changing the number of prospective employers a claimant must contact each week; prohibiting otherwise eligible individuals from being deemed ineligible for benefits solely because they seek, apply for, or are willing to accept only part-time work of at least a specified number of hours; reducing the number of prospective employers certain claimants in small counties are required to contact; exempting seasonal agricultural workers in small counties from specified work search requirements under certain circumstances; revising eligibility requirements for receiving benefits under the reemployment assistance program; suspending the work registration, reporting, work ability, and work availability requirements during a declared state of emergency and for a specified period of time thereafter; revising the manner in which individuals may submit a claim for benefits; requiring the department to establish additional methods for submitting claims and to determine an individual's eligibility within a specified timeframe; amending s. 443.101, F.S.; revising the circumstances under which individuals are disqualified for benefits by virtue of voluntarily quitting; revising the definitions of the terms "good cause" and "work"; deleting provisions hb0207-00 HB 207 disqualifying individuals for benefits as a result of drug use; deleting rulemaking authority for the department relating to suitability of work; revising provisions relating to suitable work; revising earned income requirements for individuals who were terminated from work for certain acts with regard to entitlement to reemployment assistance benefits; deleting provisions relating to circumstances under which temporary or leased employees are disqualified for benefits; amending s. 443.111, F.S.; deleting certain reporting requirements for claimants; revising qualifying requirements for individuals seeking to establish a benefit year for reemployment assistance; requiring an alternative base period to be used under certain circumstances when calculating wages; providing requirements relating to specified calendar quarters under certain circumstances; specifying that wages that fall within an alternative base period are not available for reuse in subsequent benefit years; requiring the department to adopt rules; revising the minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts; requiring that such benefit be rounded to the nearest dollar upward rather than downward; revising weekly benefit amounts for partially unemployed individuals; deleting the definition of the term "Florida average hb0207-00 HB 207 unemployment rate"; revising the limitations on the duration of benefits; amending s. 443.1116, F.S.; revising the circumstances under which the director of the department is required to approve short-time compensation plans; revising eligibility requirements for short-time compensation benefits; revising the cap on short-time compensation benefit amounts; deleting a provision requiring that short-time compensation benefits be deducted from the total benefit amounts; amending s. 443.1216, F.S.; revising what constitutes employment for the purposes of reemployment assistance; conforming a cross-reference; amending s. 443.1217, F.S.; revising the amount of wages that are exempt from the employer's contribution to the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, beginning on a specified date; amending s. 443.131, F.S.; deleting exemptions relating to compensation benefits being charged to employment records; providing a cross- reference; deleting obsolete language; conforming a cross-reference; amending s. 443.141, F.S.; specifying that the burden of proof in an appeal filed by an employer is on the employer; conforming cross- references; amending s. 443.151, F.S.; specifying that the burden of proof in an appeal filed by an employer is on the employer; amending ss. 443.041, 443.1115, hb0207-00 HB 207 and 443.1215, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; amending ss. 215.425 and 443.121, F.S.; conforming cross-references; reenacting s. 443.1116(6), F.S., relating to short-time compensation, to incorporate the amendments made by the act to s. 443.111, F.S, in a reference thereto; providing an effective date.

Committee Categories

Ben Diamond (D)*,  Anna Eskamani (D)*,  Kristen Arrington (D),  Robin Bartleman (D),  Joe Casello (D),  Dan Daley (D),  Fentrice Driskell (D),  Yvonne Hinson (D),  Dotie Joseph (D),  Andrew Learned (D),  Travaris McCurdy (D),  Daisy Morales (D),  Michele Rayner (D),  Felicia Robinson (D),  Emily Slosberg-King (D),  Carlos Smith (D),  Allison Tant (D),  Marie Woodson (D), 

Died in Tourism, Infrastructure & Energy Subcommittee (on 04/30/2021)

Official Document