1-1 By: Deshotel, Dukes (Senate Sponsor - Van de Putte) H.B. No. 567
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001;
1-3 May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Business
1-4 and Commerce; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to computation of the maximum and minimum benefit amounts
1-9 for total unemployment under the unemployment compensation system.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Sections 207.002(a)-(d), Labor Code, are amended
1-12 to read as follows:
1-13 (a) An eligible individual who is totally unemployed in a
1-14 benefit period is entitled to benefits for the benefit period at
1-15 the rate of 1/25 of the wages received by the individual from
1-16 employment by employers during that quarter in the individual's
1-17 base period in which wages were highest. The rate of benefits paid
1-18 under this section may not be more than the maximum weekly benefit
1-19 amount computed under Subsection (b) [$84] or less than the minimum
1-20 weekly benefit amount computed under Subsection (b) [$15] for each
1-21 benefit period.
1-22 (b) The [For each complete increment of $10 by which the
1-23 annual average of the manufacturing production workers' average
1-24 weekly wage in this state exceeds the 1976 average weekly wage for
1-25 those workers, as determined by the commission and published in its
1-26 report, "The Average Weekly Wage," the] maximum weekly benefit
1-27 amount [established in Subsection (a)] is 47.6 percent of the
1-28 average weekly wage in covered employment in this state. The
1-29 [increased by $7 and the] minimum weekly benefit amount
1-30 [established in Subsection (a)] is 7.6 percent of the average
1-31 weekly wage in covered employment in this state [increased by $1].
1-32 (c) The commission shall determine the average weekly wage
1-33 in covered employment and compute the maximum and minimum weekly
1-34 benefit amount not later than [for a claim filed on or after]
1-35 October 1 of each year based on the annual average weekly wage for
1-36 the preceding year[, 1989, without consideration of any increase in
1-37 the average weekly wage for manufacturing workers in this state for
1-38 the years 1986 and 1987]. If a benefit amount computed under this
1-39 subsection is not a multiple of $1, the commission shall increase
1-40 the amount to the next multiple of $1.
1-41 (d) An increase in maximum and minimum benefit amounts under
1-42 this section takes effect on October 1 [following publication of
1-43 "The Average Weekly Wage" report].
1-44 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
1-45 applies only to a computation of a benefit amount for total
1-46 unemployment that is made by the Texas Workforce Commission on or
1-47 after October 1, 2001. A benefit amount computed before October 1,
1-48 2001, is governed by the law in effect on the date that the benefit
1-49 amount was computed, and the former law is continued in effect for
1-50 that purpose.
1-51 * * * * *