S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6752
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 8, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Labor
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the labor law, in relation to increasing the unemploy-
   ment insurance minimum weekly benefit amount
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 590 of the labor
 law, as amended by section 8 of part O of chapter  57  of  the  laws  of
 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   (a)  A  claimant's  weekly benefit amount shall be one twenty-sixth of
 the remuneration paid during the highest calendar quarter  of  the  base
 period  by  employers,  liable  for contributions or payments in lieu of
 contributions under this article, provided the claimant has remuneration
 paid in all four calendar quarters during his  or  her  base  period  or
 alternate  base  period,  BUT  SHALL  NOT BE LESS THAN SIX HUNDRED FIFTY
 DOLLARS. However, for any claimant who has remuneration paid in all four
 calendar quarters during his or her base period or alternate base period
 and whose high calendar quarter remuneration during the base  period  is
 three  thousand  five  hundred seventy-five dollars or less, the benefit
 amount shall be one twenty-fifth of the  remuneration  paid  during  the
 highest  calendar  quarter  of  the  base period by employers liable for
 contributions or payments in lieu of contributions under  this  article,
 BUT SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN SIX HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS. A claimant's week-
 ly benefit shall be one twenty-sixth of the average remuneration paid in
 the  two  highest quarters paid during the base period or alternate base
 period by employers liable for contributions  or  payments  in  lieu  of
 contributions under this article when the claimant has remuneration paid
 in  two  or  three  calendar  quarters provided however, that a claimant
 whose high calendar quarter is four thousand dollars or less but greater
 than three thousand five hundred seventy-five dollars shall have a week-
 ly benefit amount of one twenty-sixth of such high calendar quarter, BUT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10551-01-3
              

 A. 6752                             2
 
 SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN SIX  HUNDRED  FIFTY  DOLLARS.  However,  for  any
 claimant  who  has  remuneration  paid in two or three calendar quarters
 during his or her base period or alternate base period  and  whose  high
 calendar  quarter  remuneration during the base period is three thousand
 five hundred seventy-five dollars or less, the benefit amount  shall  be
 one  twenty-fifth  of  the remuneration paid during the highest calendar
 quarter of the base period by  employers  liable  for  contributions  or
 payments  in  lieu of contributions under this article, BUT SHALL NOT BE
 LESS THAN SIX HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS. Any claimant  whose  high  calendar
 quarter  remuneration during the base period is more than three thousand
 five hundred seventy-five dollars shall not have a weekly benefit amount
 less than [one] SIX hundred  [forty-three]  FIFTY  dollars.  The  weekly
 benefit  amount, so computed, that is not a multiple of one dollar shall
 be lowered to the next multiple of one dollar. On the  first  Monday  of
 September, nineteen hundred ninety-eight the weekly benefit amount shall
 not  exceed  three  hundred  sixty-five  dollars  nor be less than forty
 dollars, until the first Monday of September,  two  thousand,  at  which
 time  the  maximum  benefit  payable  pursuant to this subdivision shall
 equal one-half of the state average weekly wage for  covered  employment
 as  calculated by the department no sooner than July first, two thousand
 and no later than August first, two thousand, rounded down to the lowest
 dollar. On and after the first Monday of October, two thousand fourteen,
 the weekly benefit shall not be less than one hundred dollars, nor shall
 it exceed four hundred twenty dollars until the first Monday of October,
 two thousand fifteen when the  maximum  benefit  amount  shall  be  four
 hundred  twenty-five  dollars,  until  the  first Monday of October, two
 thousand sixteen when the maximum benefit amount shall be  four  hundred
 thirty  dollars,  until the first Monday of October, two thousand seven-
 teen when the maximum benefit amount shall be four  hundred  thirty-five
 dollars,  until  the first Monday of October, two thousand eighteen when
 the maximum benefit amount shall be four hundred  fifty  dollars,  until
 the  first  Monday  of  October,  two thousand nineteen when the maximum
 benefit amount shall be thirty-six percent of the  average  weekly  wage
 until  the first Monday of October, two thousand twenty when the maximum
 benefit amount shall be thirty-eight percent of the average weekly wage,
 until the first Monday of October,  two  thousand  twenty-one  when  the
 maximum  benefit  amount  shall  be  forty percent of the average weekly
 wage, until the first Monday of October, two  thousand  twenty-two  when
 the  maximum  benefit  amount  shall be forty-two percent of the average
 weekly wage, until the first Monday of  October,  two  thousand  twenty-
 three  [when  the  maximum  benefit  amount].  ON AND AFTER THE FIRST OF
 MONDAY OF OCTOBER, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, THE WEEKLY  BENEFIT  SHALL
 NOT  BE  LESS  THAN  SIX HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS, NOR shall [be] IT EXCEED
 forty-four percent of the average weekly wage, until the first Monday of
 October, two thousand twenty-four when the maximum benefit amount  shall
 be  forty-six percent of the average weekly wage, until the first Monday
 of October, two thousand twenty-five when  the  maximum  benefit  amount
 shall be forty-eight percent of the average weekly wage, until the first
 Monday  of  October, two thousand twenty-six and each year thereafter on
 the first Monday of October when the maximum  benefit  amount  shall  be
 fifty  percent  of the average weekly wage provided, however, that in no
 event shall the maximum benefit amount  be  reduced  from  the  previous
 year.
   §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.