Bill > HB188

This bill, the Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act of 2026, aims to update how unemployment benefits are calculated and how employers contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. It repeals an existing section of law and establishes new methods for determining the weekly benefit amount, which is the money an unemployed individual receives. The bill also alters the "taxable wage base," which is the maximum amount of an employee's wages that an employer must pay unemployment insurance contributions on. Specifically, it changes how this wage base is calculated, moving towards a percentage of the "State annual average wage" (the average yearly earnings of all employees in Maryland), with the taxable wage base becoming 16% of this average wage starting in calendar year 2029. Furthermore, beginning in calendar year 2027, the maximum weekly benefit amount will be set at 40% of the "State average weekly wage" (the average weekly earnings of all employees in Maryland), and this will be made available online by the Maryland Department of Labor. The bill also modifies how earned wages are subtracted from an individual's weekly benefit amount and clarifies that payments for serving as an election judge will not be considered wages for this subtraction. Finally, it updates the allowance for dependents, ensuring that the total weekly benefit, including dependent allowances, does not exceed the state's maximum weekly benefit amount.

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https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0188?ys=2026RS