AN ACT RELATIVE TO UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE RATES.
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 the provisions of section 14 of chapter 151A of the General Laws, the experience rate of an employer qualifying therefor under subsection (b) of said section 14 of said chapter 151A shall be the rate which appears in the column designated "B" for calendar year 2002.
SECTION 2. There is hereby established a special legislative task force to consist of 6 members; 3 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall be the house chairman of the committee on commerce and labor, 1 of whom shall be the house vice-chairman of the committee on commerce and labor, and 1 of whom shall be a member of the minority party in the house of representatives; and 3 of whom shall be appointed by the president of the senate, 1 of whom shall be the senate chairman of the committee on commerce and labor, 1 of whom shall be the senate vice-chairman of the committee on commerce and labor, and 1 of whom shall be the senate's ranking minority party member of the committee on commerce and labor. The chairmen of the committee on commerce and labor shall serve as chairmen of the task force. The task force shall consider the following issues:
(1) the task force shall make an investigation and study of the commonwealth's unemployment insurance system, including but not limited to a review of the experience rating system, the taxable wage base and its effect on the unemployment insurance trust fund, unemployment insurance fraud, the statutory rate-trigger mechanism and the contribution rate schedules, and any other matters related to the unemployment insurance system. The task force shall conduct an investigation, hold hearings and receive testimony from members of the general public, including but not limited to organizations representing employers and employees in the commonwealth and the deputy director of the division of employment and training.
(2) the task force shall make an investigation and study of employment and training issues and their impact on the commonwealth's unemployment rate and the unemployment insurance trust fund. The task force shall conduct an investigation, hold hearings and receive testimony from members of the general public, including but not limited to organizations representing employers and employees in the commonwealth and the deputy director of the division of employment and training.
The task force shall report to the general court the results of its investigation and study, and its recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation to carry its recommendations into effect, by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives on or before November 30, 2002.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2002.