HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5355        FILED ON: 10/16/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5064

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Stephan Hay

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to additional unemployment benefits for the neediest recipients currently excluded from the Lost Wages Assistance program.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5355        FILED ON: 10/16/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5064

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act relative to additional unemployment benefits for the neediest recipients currently excluded from the Lost Wages Assistance program.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish a minimum unemployment weekly benefit amount during public health emergency, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health.
 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any provision of General Laws chapter 151A to the contrary, the department of unemployment assistance may for the period of the week ending August 1, 2020 through the week ending September 5, 2020, redetermine the weekly benefit amount for any claimants unemployed and eligible for unemployment insurance benefits in an amount less than $100 per week including the dependency allowance payable under said chapter 151A, section 29(c), and who are receiving unemployment benefits under said chapter 151A,  under the Federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation,  Section 2107 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, Pub. L. 116-136,  under Federal Extended Benefits, Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970, 26 USC 3304 note, under Short Time Compensation, 26 USC 3306(v), or under the Trade Readjustment Allowance, 19 USC sections 2291 – 2293.  

The redetermination shall ensure that these claimants receive a weekly benefit amount of $100 per week during this period, which amount shall include said dependency allowance, in order to meet the eligibility requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for lost wages assistance. Any increased balance owed to a claimant shall be paid to the claimant as unemployment compensation. 

A final report on the number of redeterminations, and the additional lost wages assistance funds received for each week of the covered period shall be sent to the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means.