FILED ON: 3/30/2020

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2618

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 providing additional support to those affected by the novel coronavirus through the unemployment insurance system.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to forthwith make certain changes in unemployment insurance in response to a public health emergency, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

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. The first sentence of subsection (a) of section 30 of chapter 151A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “met” the following words:- or if during the benefit year the number of initial claims filed in any week exceeds 100,000. 

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding section 14 of chapter 151A of the General Laws or any general or special law to the contrary, for an individual separated from employment as a result of any circumstance related to or resulting from the effects of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, or the effects of the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, benefits paid to that individual under said chapter 151A shall not be charged to the account of any employer nor included in the calculation of an employer’s experience rate; provided, however, that such benefits shall be charged to the solvency account to the extent such benefits are not paid for by federal funds.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding sections 14A and 14C of chapter 151A of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, for an individual separated from  employment as a result of any circumstance related to or resulting from the effects of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, or the effects of the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, benefits paid to that individual under said chapter 151A shall not be charged to the account of any employer to the extent that such benefits are paid for by federal funds.

SECTION 4. Notwithstanding section 29 of chapter 151A of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, dependency benefits shall not be subject to the 50 per cent limit of an individual's weekly benefit rate established under subsection (c) of said section 29 of said chapter 151A.

SECTION 5. Notwithstanding 430 CMR 22.06, 430 CMR 5.06 or any general or special law to the contrary, a nonprofit organization shall have 120 days from the date of the next scheduled payment due after the effective date of this act to pay contributions or make payment in lieu of contributions pursuant to section 14 or section 14A of chapter 151A of the General Laws without penalty or interest.

SECTION 6. Sections 2 to 4, inclusive, are hereby repealed.

SECTION 7. Section 1 shall take effect on January 1, 2021.

SECTION 8. Sections 2 and 3 shall take effect as of March 10, 2020.

SECTION 9. Section 6 shall take effect 1 year from the effective date of this act or 6 months after termination of the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, whichever is later.