5963-S AMH GREE REIN 075

SSB 5963 - H AMD 546

By Representative Green

OUT OF ORDER 4/10/2009

On page 23, after line 23, insert the following:

"Sec. 4. RCW 50.20.120 and 2009 c 3 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    Except as provided in RCW 50.20.--- (section 2, chapter 3, Laws of 2009), benefits shall be payable as provided in this section.

    (1) For claims with an effective date on or after April 4, 2004, benefits shall be payable to any eligible individual during the individual's benefit year in a maximum amount equal to the lesser of twenty-six times the weekly benefit amount, as determined in subsection (2) of this section, or one-third of the individual's base year wages under this title.

    (2)(a) For claims with an effective date on or after April 24, 2005, and before January 6, 2013, an individual's weekly benefit amount shall be an amount equal to three and eighty-five one-hundredths percent of the average quarterly wages of the individual's total wages during the two quarters of the individual's base year in which such total wages were highest.

(b) For claims with an effective date on or after January 6, 2013, and before January 3, 2016:

(i) Except as provided in (ii) of this subsection, an individual's weekly benefit amount shall be an amount equal to three and nine hundred twenty-five one thousandths percent of the average quarterly wages of the individual's total wages during the two quarters of the individual's base year in which such total wages were highest.

(ii) An individual's weekly benefit amount shall be an amount equal to three and eighty-five one-hundredths percent of the average quarterly wages of the individual's total wages during the two quarters of the individual's base year in which such total wages were highest if the commissioner determines that:

(A) Additional compensation is payable pursuant to section 2002 of the American recovery and reinvestment act of 2009 or a substantially  similar federal law, or pursuant to RCW 50.20.--- (section 2, chapter 3, Laws of 2009), or a substantially similar state law; or

(B) The balance in the unemployment compensation fund is an amount that will provide fewer than eight months of unemployment benefits.

(c) For claims with an effective date on or after January 3, 2016, an individual's weekly benefit amount shall be an amount equal to four percent of the average quarterly wages of the individual's total wages during the two quarters of the individual's base year in which such total wages were highest.

    (3) The maximum and minimum amounts payable weekly shall be determined as of each June 30th to apply to benefit years beginning in the twelve-month period immediately following such June 30th. 

    (a) The maximum amount payable weekly shall be either four hundred ninety-six dollars or sixty-three percent of the "average weekly wage" for the calendar year preceding such June 30th, whichever is greater.

    (b) The minimum amount payable weekly shall be fifteen percent of the "average weekly wage" for the calendar year preceding such June 30th.

    (4) If any weekly benefit, maximum benefit, or minimum benefit amount computed herein is not a multiple of one dollar, it shall be reduced to the next lower multiple of one dollar."

    Renumber the sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

    Correct the title.

EFFECT:  Specifies that:

           -- From 2013 through 2015, the multiplier used to calculate an individual's weekly benefit amount is 3.925 percent.  However, the multiplier is 3.85 percent (same as current law) if additional federal or state compensation is payable or the balance in the trust fund is less than 8 months of benefits.

           -- From 2016 and thereafter, the multiplier used to calculate an individual's weekly benefit amount is 4.0 percent.  

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