PRINTER'S NO. 1550
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1177
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY DUSH AND ROTHMAN, APRIL 22, 2024
REFERRED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY, APRIL 22, 2024
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 administration of
act, further providing for State Unemployment Compensation
Advisory Counsel.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 204.1(k) introductory paragraph and (1)
of the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897,
No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, are amended
to read:
Section 204.1. State Unemployment Compensation Advisory
Council.--* * *
(k) The department shall also prepare and present to the
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Governor and the General Assembly, on or before the first day of
March of each year, an evaluation of the financial operations of
the unemployment compensation program, together with its
findings and recommendations for developing and improving
solvency of the fund and adjusting and regulating income and
disbursements in the fields of contributions and benefits. Such
report shall include the presentation of the current economic
trends, statistics and analyses on which the evaluation is
based. The department shall post a copy of the report on the
department's publicly accessible Internet website. This
evaluation shall include all of the following:
(1) Statistics relating to population, labor force and
covered labor force. The following shall apply:
(i) The following information shall be included in the
evaluation under this paragraph:
(A) Total number of individuals unemployed fifteen (15)
weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force.
(B) Total number of job losers and individuals who completed
temporary employment, as a percent of the civilian labor force.
(C) Total number of individuals unemployed, as a percent of
the civilian labor force.
(D) Total number of individuals unemployed plus discouraged
workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus
discouraged workers.
(E) Total number of individuals unemployed, plus discouraged
workers, plus all other marginally attached workers, as a
percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached
workers.
(F) Total number of individuals unemployed, plus all
marginally attached workers, plus total number of individuals
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employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the
civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.
(ii) As used in this paragraph, the following words and
phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subparagraph:
"Civilian labor force." All individuals sixteen (16) years
of age or older who are classified as either employed or
unemployed.
"Discouraged worker." An individual who is:
(A) not in the labor force;
(B) wants, and is available for, employment; and
(C) has looked for employment some time in the prior twelve
(12) months but has not recently looked for employment for
reasons related to the job market.
"Employed." An individual who did any work at all for pay or
profit or worked fifteen (15) hours or more without pay in a
family business or on a farm, including an individual who is not
working but has employment from which the individual was
temporarily absent, whether or not paid, due to a labor-
management dispute, illness or vacation.
"Employed part time for economic reasons." An individual who
wants, and is available for, full-time employment but is
employed on a part-time schedule.
"Job loser." An individual who lost employment due to layoff
or other dismissal.
"Marginally attached worker." An individual who is currently
neither employed nor looking for employment but indicates a
desire for employment, is able to work and has looked for
employment in the past twelve (12) months.
"Unemployed." An individual who is not employed but has
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looked for employment in the last four (4) weeks and is
available to work.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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