Amendment ID: S2001-11-R1

Redraft Amendment 11

Duration of Benefits

Mr. Tarr moves to amend the bill by inserting after section _ the following section:-

“SECTION X.   Section 30 of said chapter 151A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (a) in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the total benefits which an unemployed individual may receive during his benefit year shall be an amount equal to thirty-six percent of his wages in the base period, or an amount equal to thirty times his benefit rate, whichever is less, plus dependency benefits payable under section 29; provided, that if in any month the average state-wide unemployment rate for the prior 6 months, as determined by the United States Department of Labor, is equal to or below 5.1 percent, the total benefits which an unemployed individual who then files a claim may receive during his benefit year shall be an amount equal to 36 per cent of his wages in the base period or an amount equal to 26 times his benefit rate, whichever is less, plus dependency benefits payable under said section 29. If such amount includes a fractional part of a dollar, it shall be rounded to the next lower full dollar amount

SECTION XX. Said section 30 of said chapter 151A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), in any period that the average state-wide unemployment rate exceeds 5.1 percent and is below 7.0 percent, an individual’s rights to receive regular benefits under this chapter for any week in excess of 26 times the individual’s weekly benefit amount, plus dependency benefits payable under section 29, shall be dependent on the individual’s participation in an unpaid internship program approved by the commissioner.  An individual may participate and receive a weekly benefit amount in an approved unpaid internship program for 4 weeks in excess of the 26 week benefit period.  For each week in excess of said 26 weeks, in order to receive the corresponding benefits for that week, the individual shall complete a week in such approved internship program. Approved participation in such program shall not result in a decrease in an individual’s regular benefits.  Benefits under this chapter in excess of 26 weeks shall not be conditional upon participation in an unpaid internship if the average state-wide unemployment rate for the prior 6 months is equal to or above 7.1 percent, provided that in no case shall regular benefits be distributed in excess of 30 weeks.”

SECTION XXX.  Section XX shall not take effect during anytime federal funding in not available after a recipient exhausts state benefits.