HB 1687 — An Act amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, in compensation, further providing for rate and amount of compensation.

PRINTER'S NO.   2072

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1687
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY GROVE, BERNSTINE, GLEIM, PICKETT, M. JONES,
        KAUFFMAN, STAATS, STAMBAUGH, SCHEUREN, REICHARD, ZIMMERMAN,
        GREINER, RYNCAVAGE, ANDERSON, GAYDOS, HAMM, FRITZ AND
        BASHLINE, JULY 1, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, JULY 1, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937
 2      P.L.2897, No.1), entitled "An act establishing a system of
 3      unemployment compensation to be administered by the
 4      Department of Labor and Industry and its existing and newly
 5      created agencies with personnel (with certain exceptions)
 6      selected on a civil service basis; requiring employers to
 7      keep records and make reports, and certain employers to pay
 8      contributions based on payrolls to provide moneys for the
 9      payment of compensation to certain unemployed persons;
10      providing procedure and administrative details for the
11      determination, payment and collection of such contributions
12      and the payment of such compensation; providing for
13      cooperation with the Federal Government and its agencies;
14      creating certain special funds in the custody of the State
15      Treasurer; and prescribing penalties," in compensation,
16      further providing for rate and amount of compensation.
17      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
18   hereby enacts as follows:
19      Section 1.    Section 404 of the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd
20   Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment
21   Compensation Law, is amended by adding a subsection to read:
22      Section 404.    Rate and Amount of Compensation.--Compensation
23   shall be paid to each eligible employe in accordance with the
24   following provisions of this section except that compensation
 1   payable with respect to weeks ending in benefit years which
 2   begin prior to the first day of January 1989 shall be paid on
 3   the basis of the provisions of this section in effect at the
 4   beginning of such benefit years.
 5      * * *
 6      (c.1)     Notwithstanding the maximum number of weeks provided
 7   in subsection (c) of this section, for claims with an
 8   application for benefits date on or after the effective date of
 9   this subsection, the maximum number of weeks that an individual
10   may receive shall be determined under this subsection, as
11   follows:
12      (1)     The maximum number of weeks that an individual may
13   receive unemployment benefits shall be based on the seasonal
14   adjusted Statewide unemployment rate that applies to the six-
15   month application period in which the claim is filed, with one
16   six-month application period beginning on January 1 and one six-
17   month application period beginning on July 1. The following
18   apply to the application period and seasonal adjusted
19   unemployment rates:
20      (i)     For the application period that begins January 1, the
21   average of the seasonal adjusted unemployment rates for this
22   Commonwealth for the preceding months of July, August and
23   September applies.
24      (ii)     For the application period that begins July 1, the
25   average of the seasonal adjusted unemployment rates for this
26   Commonwealth for the preceding months of January, February and
27   March applies.
28      (iii)     The department shall use the most recent seasonal
29   adjusted unemployment rates determined by the United States
30   Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and not the

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 1   rate as revised in the annual benchmark.
 2      (iv)    The maximum number of weeks under this paragraph shall
 3   be determined using the following table:
 4       Seasonal Adjusted Unemployment
 5                     Rate                      Number of Weeks
 6            Less than or equal to 5.5%                12
 7      Greater than 5.5% and 6% or less                13
 8      Greater than 6% and 6.5% or less                14
 9      Greater than 6.5% and 7% or less                15
10      Greater than 7% and 7.5% or less                16
11      Greater than 7.5% and 8% or less                17
12      Greater than 8% and 8.5% or less                18
13      Greater than 8.5% and 9% or less                19
14                 Greater than 9%                      20
15      (2)    The total maximum benefits paid to an individual in a
16   single benefit year may not exceed the individual's weekly
17   benefit amount on Part B of the Table Specified for the
18   Determination of Rate and Amount of Benefits multiplied by the
19   number of weeks allowed under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
20      * * *
21      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in six months.




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