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                                  * * * * *