HCS HB 1075 -- UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (Fisher, 125)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN:  Special Committee on Workforce Development
and Workplace Safety

This substitute changes the laws regarding unemployment
compensation.  It its main provisions, the substitute:

(1)  Removes the $450 million cap on the total amount of
outstanding obligations the Board of Unemployment Fund Financing
within the Office of Administration may incur when providing
funds for the payment of unemployment benefits or maintaining an
adequate fund balance in the Unemployment Compensation Fund;

(2)  Specifies that a claimant for unemployment compensation will
be ineligible to receive benefits or waiting week credit if he or
she has an outstanding penalty that was assessed based upon a
previous overpayment of benefits;

(3)  Specifies that a claimant for unemployment compensation
benefits will be deemed to have been discharged from employment
for misconduct and will be disqualified for waiting week credit
and benefits if he or she provided false information on his or
her employment application regarding felony convictions or
training, licensure, certification, or educational job
qualifications;

(4)  Changes the requirement that employers with 250 or more
employees must file their quarterly wage report electronically by
magnetic media or the Internet to require employers with 50 or
more employees to file in an electronic manner prescribed by the
Division of Employment Security within the Department of Labor
and Industrial Relations;

(5)  Requires certain employers who submit federal 1099
miscellaneous forms to the Department of Revenue to also submit
the forms to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations;

(6)  Authorizes additional options that the Division of
Employment Security within the Department of Labor and Industrial
Relations may take to collect unpaid contributions, interest, or
penalties from an employer imposed under the Unemployment
Compensation Law.  The division may serve the employer a notice
of assessment for these amounts by certified or registered mail
and may file a certificate of lien for their payment with the
recorder of deeds in the county in which the employer owns
property or has a place of business;

(7)  Changes certain provisions regarding the state's eligibility
to receive federal extended unemployment benefit money to provide
unemployed individuals benefits beyond the current unemployment
benefit period and the amount of the extended unemployment
benefits an eligible individual can receive.  Beginning
February 1, 2009, and ending December 12, 2009, the state is
eligible to receive federal extended unemployment benefit money
when:

(a)  The state unemployment rate for the most recent three-month
period is 6.5% or more; and

(b)  The unemployment rate of 6.5% or greater is at least 110% of
the average of the unemployment rates of the corresponding
three-month period in each of the preceding two years; and

(8)  Specifies that an individual will be eligible to receive
extended unemployment benefits if he or she has exhausted all
state benefits the individual is eligible to receive.  The total
amount of extended benefits an eligible unemployed individual may
receive is the lessor of:

(a)  80% of the total unemployment benefits which were payable in
the applicable benefit year; or

(b)  20 times the weekly benefit amount which was payable for a
week of total unemployment in the applicable benefit year.

The substitute contains an emergency clause.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on General Revenue Fund in FY 2010,
FY 2011, and FY 2012.  Estimated Income on Other State Funds of
Up to $166,390 in FY 2010, FY 2011, and FY 2012.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:26 am