HBA-EDN, SEP H.B. 567 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 567 By: Deshotel Economic Development 3/2/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, unemployment benefits are calculated using a fixed base year and the average weekly wage of manufacturing production workers. The current process of computing unemployment benefits was enacted over twenty years ago and has become outdated in an economy which is no longer based on manufacturing jobs. House Bill 567 modifies the procedures for the computation of unemployment benefits. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 567 amends the Labor Code to modify the method of computation of the maximum and minimum benefit amounts for total unemployment under the unemployment compensation system. The bill provides that the maximum weekly benefit amount for an eligible individual is 52 percent of the average weekly wage in covered employment and the minimum weekly benefit amount is seven percent of the average weekly wage in covered employment. The bill requires the Texas Workforce Commission (commission) to determine the average weekly wage in covered employment and to compute the maximum and minimum weekly benefit amount not later than October 1 of each year by using the preceding quarterly report on employment, wages, and contributions prepared by the commission. If the benefit amount is not a multiple of one, the commission is required to increase the amount to the next multiple of $1. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning October 1, 2001.