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
Amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937
P.L.2897, No.1), entitled "An act establishing a system of
unemployment compensation to be administered by the
Department of Labor and Industry and its existing and newly
created agencies with personnel (with certain exceptions)
selected on a civil service basis; requiring employers to
keep records and make reports, and certain employers to pay
contributions based on payrolls to provide moneys for the
payment of compensation to certain unemployed persons;
providing procedure and administrative details for the
determination, payment and collection of such contributions
and the payment of such compensation; providing for
cooperation with the Federal Government and its agencies;
creating certain special funds in the custody of the State
Treasurer; and prescribing penalties," in compensation,
further providing for rate and amount of compensation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 404 of the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd
Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment
Compensation Law, is amended by adding a subsection to read:
Section 404. Rate and Amount of Compensation.--Compensation
shall be paid to each eligible employe in accordance with the
following provisions of this section except that compensation
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payable with respect to weeks ending in benefit years which
begin prior to the first day of January 1989 shall be paid on
the basis of the provisions of this section in effect at the
beginning of such benefit years.
* * *
(c.1) Notwithstanding the maximum number of weeks provided
in subsection (c) of this section, for claims with an
application for benefits date on or after the effective date of
this subsection, the maximum number of weeks that an individual
may receive shall be determined under this subsection, as
follows:
(1) The maximum number of weeks that an individual may
receive unemployment benefits shall be based on the seasonal
adjusted Statewide unemployment rate that applies to the six-
month application period in which the claim is filed, with one
six-month application period beginning on January 1 and one six-
month application period beginning on July 1. The following
apply to the application period and seasonal adjusted
unemployment rates:
(i) For the application period that begins January 1, the
average of the seasonal adjusted unemployment rates for this
Commonwealth for the preceding months of July, August and
September applies.
(ii) For the application period that begins July 1, the
average of the seasonal adjusted unemployment rates for this
Commonwealth for the preceding months of January, February and
March applies.
(iii) The department shall use the most recent seasonal
adjusted unemployment rates determined by the United States
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and not the
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rate as revised in the annual benchmark.
(iv) The maximum number of weeks under this paragraph shall
be determined using the following table:
Seasonal Adjusted Unemployment
Rate Number of Weeks
Less than or equal to 5.5% 12
Greater than 5.5% and 6% or less 13
Greater than 6% and 6.5% or less 14
Greater than 6.5% and 7% or less 15
Greater than 7% and 7.5% or less 16
Greater than 7.5% and 8% or less 17
Greater than 8% and 8.5% or less 18
Greater than 8.5% and 9% or less 19
Greater than 9% 20
(2) The total maximum benefits paid to an individual in a
single benefit year may not exceed the individual's weekly
benefit amount on Part B of the Table Specified for the
Determination of Rate and Amount of Benefits multiplied by the
number of weeks allowed under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in six months.
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