Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-), U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), and U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.) and a coalition of six Democratic and Independent senators on October 26 introduced a bill proposing several modifications to the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program.
The act, among other provisions, proposes the following program changes:
- Provide additional weeks of benefits when the federal unemployment rate is above 6.5%
- Increase federal financing of extended unemployment insurance benefits from 50% to 100%
- Require states to provide at least 26 weeks of benefits
- Require weekly benefit amounts to replace 75% of the claimant’s average weekly earnings in the claimant’s highest quarter of earnings during the base period, subject to the state’s maximum benefit amount
- Require the state maximum benefit amount to be greater than or equal to two-thirds of the state’s average weekly wage
- Create a federally funded Jobseeker Allowance of $250 per week to assist those who do not qualify for traditional unemployment insurance benefits.
