SB 159: "An Act relating to unemployment benefits."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 159 01 "An Act relating to unemployment benefits." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 23.20.340(a) is amended to read: 04 (a) An examiner designated by the department shall take the claim. The 05 examiner shall take all evidence pertaining to the eligibility of the claimant, including 06 evidence that the claimant submitted the claim from a duplicate, out-of-state, or 07 foreign Internet protocol address, and shall promptly transmit all evidence to the 08 department. The department, or a representative designated by it for the purpose, shall, 09 based on [THE BASIS OF] the evidence submitted and any additional evidence it 10 requires, make an initial determination of [THE CLAIM AS TO] whether the claimant 11 is eligible for benefits under AS 23.20.350 and make an initial determination of the 12 weekly benefit amount and the maximum potential benefit amount. Before making an 13 initial determination of the claimant's eligibility, the department shall verify the 14 claimant's identity and coordinate with the Department of Health and Social 15 Services to review information in the possession of the Department of Health and
01 Social Services that is relevant to the claimant's eligibility. 02 * Sec. 2. AS 23.20.340(b) is amended to read: 03 (b) Within one year from the date of the initial determination of the weekly 04 benefit amount and the maximum potential benefit amount established under 05 AS 23.20.350, the department shall reconsider the determination or any subsequent 06 determination under this chapter and shall issue a redetermination amending the 07 determination if the department finds that 08 (1) an error in computation or identity has been made; 09 (2) additional wages or other facts pertinent to the claimant's insured 10 status or eligibility for benefits, including evidence that the claimant submitted the 11 claim from a duplicate, out-of-state, or foreign Internet protocol address, have 12 become available; 13 (3) the determination resulted from a nondisclosure or 14 misrepresentation of a material fact; or 15 (4) the determination resulted from a misapplication of law by the 16 department. 17 * Sec. 3. AS 23.20.350(e) is amended to read: 18 (e) An individual who is eligible under (d) of this section is entitled to receive 19 a weekly benefit under this chapter for the number of weeks set out in column (B) of 20 the table in this subsection opposite the applicable state average unemployment rate 21 [EARNINGS RATIO OF THE INDIVIDUAL] set out in column (A): 22 (A) (B) 23 State Average Number of Weeks 24 Unemployment Rate [EARNINGS RATIO] 25 up to 7.00 percent 12 26 7.01-7.50 percent 13 27 7.51-8.00 percent 14 28 8.01-8.50 percent 15 29 8.51-9.00 percent 16 30 9.01-9.50 percent 17 31 9.51-10.00 percent 18
01 10.01-10.50 percent 19 02 10.51-11.00 percent 20. 03 [LESS THAN 1.50 16 04 1.50-1.99 18 05 2.00-2.49 20 06 2.50-2.99 22 07 3.00-3.49 24 08 3.50 OR MORE 26] 09 * Sec. 4. AS 23.20.350(g) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 10 (3) "state average unemployment rate" means the average seasonally 11 adjusted monthly unemployment rate for the most recent third quarter of the calendar 12 year as reported by the department. 13 * Sec. 5. AS 23.20.350(g)(2) is repealed.