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.