SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2554
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
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SENATE, Thursday, June 14, 2018
The committee on Ways and Means to whom was referred the Senate Bill to modernize the Commonwealth’s administration of unemployment insurance (Senate, No. 2450),-- reports, recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting a new draft with the same title (Senate, No. 2554).
For the committee,
Karen E. Spilka
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2554
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
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An Act to modernize the Commonwealth’s administration of unemployment insurance.
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. Section 1 of chapter 151A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 343 and 344, the words “reported for the highest quarter” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- wages reported for the highest quarter; and provided further, that if such deeming renders the individual ineligible for unemployment benefits, the amount shall be 1/26 of the total wages reported in the 2 quarters.
SECTION 2. Section 6 of chapter 151A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (v) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-
(v) Service performed by a person committed to a custodial or penal institution.
SECTION 3. Subsection (e) of section 25 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following 3 sentences:-
Provided, however, that this disqualification shall not apply to an individual who has left work to accompany or join the individual’s spouse or another person, who, being a service member on active service in the armed forces of the United States, has relocated beyond commuting distance due to a permanent change of station; provided further, however, that the service member has not been relocated in order to be separated from service. If the individual’s employer is liable for contributions under section 14 or 14C of this chapter, such employer’s account shall not be charged for any benefits paid out to the individual under this paragraph. For the purposes of this subsection “another person” shall mean an imminent spouse, nonmarital partner, dependent child or blood relative for whom the individual is principally responsible for the care or well-being of the blood relative.
SECTION 4. Said section 25 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 325 through 327, inclusive, the following words:- provided further, that the amount deducted each week shall not exceed 25 per cent of the individual’s weekly unemployment benefit rate; and.
SECTION 5. Section 46 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (g) and inserting in place thereof the following sub-section:-
(g) Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions of this section, the director may publish a list of active employers that are delinquent under this chapter in the payment of their obligations in an amount not less than $5,000; provided, however, that the disclosure is not precluded by federal law and the information is public through its inclusion in either a document filed in court in connection with an effort to collect the delinquency or a notice of lien recorded as part of an effort to secure the department’s rights regarding the delinquency. The director may promulgate regulations to implement this subsection.