A 6168: Increases the unemployment insurance minimum benefit amount to $860 per week.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6168 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 26, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Labor AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to increasing the unemploy- ment insurance minimum weekly benefit amount The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 590 of the labor 2 law, as amended by section 8 of part O of chapter 57 of the laws of 3 2013, is amended to read as follows: 4 (a) A claimant's weekly benefit amount shall be one twenty-sixth of 5 the remuneration paid during the highest calendar quarter of the base 6 period by employers, liable for contributions or payments in lieu of 7 contributions under this article, provided the claimant has remuneration 8 paid in all four calendar quarters during [his or her] such claimant's 9 base period or alternate base period, but shall not be less than six 10 hundred fifty dollars. However, for any claimant who has remuneration 11 paid in all four calendar quarters during [his or her] such claimant's 12 base period or alternate base period and whose high calendar quarter 13 remuneration during the base period is three thousand five hundred 14 seventy-five dollars or less, the benefit amount shall be one twenty- 15 fifth of the remuneration paid during the highest calendar quarter of 16 the base period by employers liable for contributions or payments in 17 lieu of contributions under this article, but shall not be less than six 18 hundred fifty dollars. A claimant's weekly benefit shall be one twenty- 19 sixth of the average remuneration paid in the two highest quarters paid 20 during the base period or alternate base period by employers liable for 21 contributions or payments in lieu of contributions under this article 22 when the claimant has remuneration paid in two or three calendar quar- 23 ters provided however, that a claimant whose high calendar quarter is 24 four thousand dollars or less but greater than three thousand five 25 hundred seventy-five dollars shall have a weekly benefit amount of one EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09341-01-5 
 A. 6168 2 1 twenty-sixth of such high calendar quarter, but shall not be less than 2 six hundred fifty dollars. However, for any claimant who has remunera- 3 tion paid in two or three calendar quarters during [his or her] such 4 claimant's base period or alternate base period and whose high calendar 5 quarter remuneration during the base period is three thousand five 6 hundred seventy-five dollars or less, the benefit amount shall be one 7 twenty-fifth of the remuneration paid during the highest calendar quar- 8 ter of the base period by employers liable for contributions or payments 9 in lieu of contributions under this article, but shall not be less than 10 six hundred fifty dollars. Any claimant whose high calendar quarter 11 remuneration during the base period is more than three thousand five 12 hundred seventy-five dollars shall not have a weekly benefit amount less 13 than [one] six hundred [forty-three] fifty dollars. The weekly benefit 14 amount, so computed, that is not a multiple of one dollar shall be 15 lowered to the next multiple of one dollar. On the first Monday of 16 September, nineteen hundred ninety-eight the weekly benefit amount shall 17 not exceed three hundred sixty-five dollars nor be less than forty 18 dollars, until the first Monday of September, two thousand, at which 19 time the maximum benefit payable pursuant to this subdivision shall 20 equal one-half of the state average weekly wage for covered employment 21 as calculated by the department no sooner than July first, two thousand 22 and no later than August first, two thousand, rounded down to the lowest 23 dollar. On and after the first Monday of October, two thousand fourteen, 24 the weekly benefit shall not be less than one hundred dollars, nor shall 25 it exceed four hundred twenty dollars until the first Monday of October, 26 two thousand fifteen when the maximum benefit amount shall be four 27 hundred twenty-five dollars, until the first Monday of October, two 28 thousand sixteen when the maximum benefit amount shall be four hundred 29 thirty dollars, until the first Monday of October, two thousand seven- 30 teen when the maximum benefit amount shall be four hundred thirty-five 31 dollars, until the first Monday of October, two thousand eighteen when 32 the maximum benefit amount shall be four hundred fifty dollars, until 33 the first Monday of October, two thousand nineteen when the maximum 34 benefit amount shall be thirty-six percent of the average weekly wage 35 until the first Monday of October, two thousand twenty when the maximum 36 benefit amount shall be thirty-eight percent of the average weekly wage, 37 until the first Monday of October, two thousand twenty-one when the 38 maximum benefit amount shall be forty percent of the average weekly 39 wage, until the first Monday of October, two thousand twenty-two when 40 the maximum benefit amount shall be forty-two percent of the average 41 weekly wage, until the first Monday of October, two thousand twenty- 42 three [when the maximum benefit amount]. On and after the first Monday 43 of October, two thousand twenty-five, the weekly benefit shall not be 44 less than six hundred fifty dollars, nor shall [be] it exceed forty-four 45 percent of the average weekly wage, until the first Monday of October, 46 two thousand twenty-four when the maximum benefit amount shall be 47 forty-six percent of the average weekly wage, until the first Monday of 48 October, two thousand twenty-five when the maximum benefit amount shall 49 be forty-eight percent of the average weekly wage, until the first 50 Monday of October, two thousand twenty-six and each year thereafter on 51 the first Monday of October when the maximum benefit amount shall be 52 fifty percent of the average weekly wage provided, however, that in no 53 event shall the maximum benefit amount be reduced from the previous 54 year. 55 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 56 have become a law.