S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6168
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 26, 2025
                                ___________
 
 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]  SUCH  CLAIMANT'S
 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] SUCH CLAIMANT'S
 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 weekly 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 quar-
 ters 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 weekly benefit amount  of  one
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09341-01-5
              

 A. 6168                             2
 
 twenty-sixth  of  such high calendar quarter, BUT SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN
 SIX HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS. However, for any claimant who  has  remunera-
 tion  paid  in  two  or three calendar quarters during [his or her] SUCH
 CLAIMANT'S  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  quar-
 ter 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 MONDAY
 OF OCTOBER, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE, 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.