Amendment vs bill Amendment H-1320 vs Introduced

Struck = removed from the bill · added = the amendment's new text.

Previous
Latest
House File 980 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 980 BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 315) A BILL FOR An Act relating to unemployment insurance taxes on employers.
House File 980 H-1320 Amend House File 980 as follows:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
TLSB 2926HV (1) 91 je/js H.F.
980 Section 1.
Section 96.1A, subsection 36, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
36.
“Taxable wages” means an amount of wages upon which an employer is required to contribute based upon wages which that have been paid in this state during a calendar year to an individual by an employer or the employer’s predecessor, in this state or another state which extends a like comity to this state, with respect to employment, upon which the employer is required to contribute, which equals the greater of the following:
a.
Sixty-six and two-thirds Thirty-three and one-third percent of the statewide average weekly wage which that was used during the previous calendar year to determine maximum weekly benefit amounts, multiplied by fifty-two and rounded to the next highest multiple of one hundred dollars.
b.
That portion of wages subject to a tax under a federal law imposing a tax against which credit may be taken for contributions required to be paid into a state unemployment compensation fund.
Sec.
2.
Section 96.7, subsection 2, paragraph c, subparagraphs (1) and (2), Code 2025, are amended to read as follows:
(1) A nonconstruction contributory employer newly subject to this chapter shall pay contributions at the rate specified in the twelfth fourth benefit ratio rank but not less than one percent until the end of the calendar year in which the employer’s account has been chargeable with benefits for twelve consecutive calendar quarters immediately preceding the computation date.
(2) A construction or landscaping contributory employer, as defined under rules adopted by the department pursuant to chapter 17A, which that is newly subject to this chapter shall pay contributions at the rate specified in the twenty-first ninth benefit ratio rank until the end of the calendar year in which the employer’s account has been chargeable with benefits LSB 2926HV (1) 91 -1- je/js 1/6 H.F.
980 for twelve consecutive calendar quarters.
Sec.
3.
Section 96.7, subsection 2, paragraph d, subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
(1) The current reserve fund ratio is computed by dividing the total funds available for payment of benefits, on the computation date or on August 15 following the computation date if the total funds available for payment of benefits is a higher amount on August 15, by the total wages paid in covered employment excluding reimbursable employment wages during the first four calendar quarters of the five calendar quarters year immediately preceding the computation date.
However, in computing the current reserve fund ratio, beginning July 1, 2007, one hundred fifty million dollars shall be added to the total funds available for payment of benefits on each computation date.
Sec.
4.
Section 96.7, subsection 2, paragraph d, subparagraph (2), subparagraph division (a), Code 2025, is amended by striking the subparagraph division.
Sec.
5.
Section 96.7, subsection 2, paragraph d, subparagraph (2), subparagraph division (b), Code 2025, is amended by striking the subparagraph division and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
(b) If the current reserve fund ratio:
Equals or But is The contribution rate exceeds less than table in effect shall be _______________________________________________________________ —— 0.50 A 0.50 0.90 B 0.90 1.30 C 1.30 —— D Sec.
6.
Section 96.7, subsection 2, paragraph d, subparagraph (2), subparagraph division (d), Code 2025, is amended by striking the subparagraph division and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
(d) Each employer qualified for an experience rating LSB 2926HV (1) 91 -2- je/js 2/6 H.F.
980 shall be assigned a contribution rate for each rate year that corresponds to the employer’s benefit ratio rank in the contribution rate table effective for the rate year from the following contribution rate tables.
Each employer’s benefit ratio rank shall be computed by listing all the employers by increasing benefit ratios, from the lowest benefit ratio to the highest benefit ratio and grouping the employers so listed into nine separate ranks containing as nearly as possible fourteen and twenty-nine hundredths percent of the total taxable wages, excluding reimbursable employment wages, in the first six ranks, and four and seventy-six hundredths percent of the total taxable wages, excluding reimbursable employment wages, in ranks seven, eight, and nine, paid in covered employment during the four completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the computation date.
If an employer’s taxable wages qualify the employer for two separate benefit ratio ranks, the employer shall be afforded the benefit ratio rank assigned the lower contribution rate.
Employers with identical benefit ratios shall be assigned to the same benefit ratio rank.
Approximate Contribution Rate Tables Benefit Cumulative Ratio Taxable Rank Payroll Limit A B C D __________________________________________________________ 1 14.29% 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2 28.58% 0.40 0.30 0.10 0.10 3 42.87% 1.20 0.80 0.40 0.20 4 57.16% 2.10 1.40 0.60 0.30 5 71.45% 3.60 2.40 1.10 0.50 6 85.74% 5.40 4.10 1.90 0.90 7 90.50% 5.40 5.40 4.20 2.00 8 95.26% 5.40 5.40 5.40 2.80 9 100.00% 5.40 5.40 5.40 5.40 Sec.
7.
EMPLOYER SAVINGS.
Show all 73 changed rows (33 more)
Previous
Latest
Any savings an employer receives as a result of this Act should be used for at least one of the LSB 2926HV (1) 91 -3- je/js 3/6 H.F.
980 following purposes:
To pay for employee salaries or benefits.
Page 1, line 3, after <36.> by inserting <a.
2.
> 2.
To use as an alternative to unemployment benefits during periods of seasonal unemployment.
Page 1, line 11, by striking <a.> and inserting <a.
EXPLANATION The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
(1)> 3.
This bill relates to unemployment insurance taxes on employers.
Page 1, line 16, by striking <b.> and inserting <b.
The bill modifies the definition of “taxable wages” by eliminating the wages paid to an employee from another state from the calculation of wages upon which an employer is required to contribute to the unemployment compensation fund (fund) when the other state extends a like comity (reciprocity) to Iowa for employment purposes.
(2)> 4.
Under current law, the calculation of taxable wages upon which an employer is required to contribute to the fund is the greater amount of the two amounts calculated pursuant to paragraphs “a” and “b” under Code section 96.1A(36).
Page 1, after line 19 by inserting:
The bill changes the calculation of one these amounts under paragraph “a” by reducing the percentage of statewide average weekly wage used in the calculation from 66.66 percent to 33.33 percent of the statewide average weekly wage used during the previous calendar year, which is then multiplied by 52 and rounded to the nearest $100 to determine maximum weekly benefit amounts.
<b.
The amount in paragraph “a” as calculated under the bill would be the amount used to calculate taxable wages upon which an employer is required to contribute to the fund if that amount exceeds the amount in paragraph “b” under Code section 96.1A(36).
If the average statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, as determined by the federal bureau of labor statistics, for a calendar year is greater than four percent, taxable wages for the following calendar year shall be increased by two thousand dollars for each percentage point, rounded to the nearest whole percentage point, above four percent of the average statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the previous calendar year.
The calculation of the unemployment contribution rate each year is a dynamic calculation dependent upon the calculation of the current reserve ratio, the benefit ratio rank, and the contribution rate table in effect for the rate year.
Any annual increase in taxable wages under this paragraph shall be for the applicable calendar year only and shall not be cumulative.
The bill changes the current reserve ratio calculation, the LSB 2926HV (1) 91 -4- je/js 4/6 H.F.
> 5.
980 number of benefit ratio ranks, the contribution rates, and the contribution rate table.
Page 1, before line 20 by inserting:
The current reserve ratio (calculation of available benefit amount in fund) determines the contribution rate table in effect for the rate year following the computation date.
<Sec.
The bill changes the computation of the current reserve fund ratio in Code section 96.7(2)(d)(1) by basing the calculation of the ratio on the preceding year rather than the previous five calendar quarters, and strikes the requirement that $150 million be added on the reserve ratio computation date to the total funds available for benefits.
___.
The bill also strikes the computation of the highest cost-benefit ratio and removes the ratio from the computation of the current reserve ratio.
Section 96.3, subsection 5, paragraph a, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
The bill modifies the contribution rate table by reducing the number of possible rate tables that could be in effect for the rate year from eight contribution rate tables to four contribution rate tables.
a.
Under the bill and current law, only one contribution rate table may be in effect per rate year.
Duration of benefits.
In reducing the number of possible contribution rate tables from eight to four, the bill also changes the numbered contribution rate designations to lettered contribution rate designations.
(1) The maximum total amount of benefits payable to an eligible individual during a benefit year shall not exceed the total of the wage credits accrued to the individual’s account during the individual’s base period, or sixteen times the individual’s weekly benefit amount, whichever is the lesser.
Under current law, there are 21 benefit ratio ranks in the contribution rate tables.
The director shall maintain a separate account for each individual who earns wages in insured work.
The benefit ratio is a calculation based upon the average number of unemployment benefits charged to an employer over previous calendar quarters.
The director shall compute wage credits for each individual by crediting the individual’s account with one-third of the wages for insured work paid to the individual during the individual’s base period.
The higher the benefits charged to an employer, the higher the benefit ratio rank the employer receives.
However, the director shall recompute wage credits for an individual who is laid off due to the individual’s employer going out of business at the factory, establishment, or other premises at which the individual was last employed, by crediting the individual’s account with one-half, instead of one-third, of the wages for insured work paid to the individual HF 980.1735 (3) 91 -1- je/js 1/2 during the individual’s base period.
The bill reduces the number of benefit ratio ranks from 21 to 9.
Benefits paid to an eligible individual shall be charged against the base period wage credits in the individual’s account which have not been previously charged, in the inverse chronological order as the wages on which the wage credits are based were paid.
Under current law, each of the ratio ranks constitutes 4.76 percent of total taxable wages.
However if the state “off” indicator is in effect and if the individual is laid off due to the individual’s employer going out of business at the factory, establishment, or other premises at which the individual was last employed, the maximum benefits payable shall be extended to twenty-six times the individual’s weekly benefit amount, but not to exceed the total of the wage credits accrued to the individual’s account.
The bill groups the benefit ratio ranks differently by separating each of the first six benefit ratio ranks by 14.29 percent of total taxable wages, and separates the last three benefit ratio ranks by 4.76 percent of total taxable wages.
(2) A multiple of an individual’s benefit amount provided in subparagraph (1) shall be increased in a calendar year if the average statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, as determined by the federal bureau of labor statistics, for the previous calendar year was greater than four percent.
Under current law, the highest contribution rate that LSB 2926HV (1) 91 -5- je/js 5/6 H.F.
The increase shall be two times the individual’s weekly benefit amount for each percentage point, rounded to the nearest whole percentage point, above four percent of the average statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the previous calendar year.
980 corresponds with the highest benefit ratio rank is 9.0 percent.
Any annual increase in a multiple of an individual’s benefit amount under this subparagraph shall be for the applicable calendar year only and shall not be cumulative.
Under the bill, the highest contribution rate that corresponds with the highest benefit ratio rank is 5.40 percent.
> 6.
As a result of the bill, each employer will be assigned one of the nine new benefit ratio ranks that corresponds with one of the four new lettered contribution rate designations in effect for the rate year to determine the contribution rate for the year.
Title page, line 1, by striking <taxes on employers> 7.
The bill provides that any savings an employer receives as a result of the bill should be used for at least one of the purposes specified in the bill.
By renumbering as necessary.
The specified purposes are to pay for employee salaries or benefits or to use as an alternative to unemployment benefits during periods of seasonal unemployment.
______________________________ COOLING of Linn HF 980.1735 (3) 91 -2- je/js 2/2
LSB 2926HV (1) 91 -6- je/js 6/6