Bill > S1014

This bill aims to improve unemployment insurance by making several changes to existing law, including modifying how employer unemployment insurance rates are calculated, adjusting the criteria for receiving unemployment benefits by requiring individuals to have earned wages in at least two quarters of their base period and linking benefit amounts to increases in the minimum wage, and expanding the definition of disqualifying offenses to include continuations without a finding or admissions of sufficient facts for certain felonies or misdemeanors. It also revises the calculation of total unemployment benefits an individual can receive, potentially reducing them based on the state-wide unemployment rate, and introduces a requirement for individuals to participate in unpaid internships approved by the commissioner for weeks of benefits beyond a certain threshold, though this participation will not decrease their regular benefits. Furthermore, the bill introduces new procedures for determining unemployment claims, requiring the commissioner to investigate claims where an individual has previously received benefits from the same employer within a specified timeframe, and mandates at least one public hearing annually for the department to gather input from Massachusetts employers. Finally, it establishes a special commission to study the adjudication of unemployment insurance claims and a task force to examine the payment structure of unemployment benefits, including the possibility of lump-sum payments.