00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 212                                                                          
01 "An Act modifying the Alaska unemployment insurance statutes to comply with the                                         
02 requirements of the federal economic stimulus bill by redefining the base period for                                    
03 determining eligibility for unemployment benefits; and providing for an effective date."                                
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
05    * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                          
06 to read:                                                                                                                
07       LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. The legislature finds that                                                       
08            (1)  the federal government has enacted a federal economic stimulus bill that                                
09 makes it possible to obtain from the federal government additional funding to address the                               
10 needs of the state's unemployed;                                                                                        
11            (2)  it is desirable to address the needs of the state's unemployed;                                         
12            (3)  it is desirable to address the needs of the state's employers;                                          
13            (4)  in order for the state to receive the additional federal funding made                                   
14 available by the federal economic stimulus bill it may be necessary to amend state law;                                 

01            (5)  because eligibility for federal economic stimulus funds may be contingent                               
02 on amending state law, and because that federal funding will address the needs of the state's                           
03 unemployed, and, by offsetting some of the costs associated with providing benefits to the                              
04 state's unemployed, will address the needs of the state's employers, the amendment of state                             
05 law to ensure the state is eligible to receive federal economic stimulus funds is an important                          
06 goal.                                                                                                                   
07    * Sec. 2. AS 23.20.520(3) is amended to read:                                                                      
08                 (3)  "base period" means the first four of the last five completed                                      
09       calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an individual's benefit year,                        
10       except that if an individual would not otherwise be eligible for unemployment                                 
11       compensation because of the use of a base period that does not include the most                               
12       recently completed calendar quarter immediately preceding the first day of an                                 
13       individual's benefit year, "base period" means, and eligibility shall be                                      
14       determined using, the four most recently completed calendar quarters before the                               
15       start of the benefit year;                                                                                    
16    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).