Pennsylvania Act 1996-189 — UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION LAW - AMEND

Act text

Session of 1996

No. 1996-189

HB 2703

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," further providing for definitions, for determination of contribution rates and for employer reserve accounts.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 4 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 4. Definitions.--The following words and phrases, as used in this act, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

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(h.1) "Disaster" means a fire, flood or other physical occurrence, beyond the employer's control, caused naturally or accidentally.

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Section 2. Section 302(a) of the act is amended by adding a paragraph to read:

Section 302. Establishment and Maintenance of Employer's Reserve Accounts.--The department shall establish and maintain for each employer a separate employer's reserve account in the following manner:

(a) * * *

(2.1) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, if the department finds that an individual was separated from his most recent work for such employer due to a cessation of business of eighteen months or less caused by a disaster, compensation paid to such individual with respect to any week of unemployment occurring subsequent to such separation shall not be charged to the account of such employer; provided, such employer has filed a notice with the department in accordance with its rules and regulations and within the time limits prescribed therein.

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Section 3. This act shall apply to disasters which occur on or after the effective date of this act.

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 19th day of December, A. D. 1996.

THOMAS J. RIDGE