Senate File 157 - Introduced SENATE FILE 157 BY DOTZLER , WEINER , QUIRMBACH , WINCKLER , BENNETT , BLAKE , BISIGNANO , TOWNSEND , STAED , PETERSEN , DONAHUE , CELSI , KNOX , TRONE GARRIOTT , and WAHLS A BILL FOR An Act relating to the maximum amount of unemployment benefits 1 payable during a benefit year. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1607XS (2) 91 je/js

S.F. 157 Section 1. Section 96.3, subsection 5, paragraph a, Code 1 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. Duration of benefits. The maximum total amount of 3 benefits payable to an eligible individual during a benefit 4 year shall not exceed the total of the wage credits accrued to 5 the individual’s account during the individual’s base period, 6 or sixteen twenty-six times the individual’s weekly benefit 7 amount, whichever is the lesser. The director shall maintain 8 a separate account for each individual who earns wages in 9 insured work. The director shall compute wage credits for 10 each individual by crediting the individual’s account with 11 one-third of the wages for insured work paid to the individual 12 during the individual’s base period. However, the director 13 shall recompute wage credits for an individual who is laid 14 off due to the individual’s employer going out of business at 15 the factory, establishment, or other premises at which the 16 individual was last employed, by crediting the individual’s 17 account with one-half, instead of one-third, of the wages for 18 insured work paid to the individual during the individual’s 19 base period. Benefits paid to an eligible individual shall 20 be charged against the base period wage credits in the 21 individual’s account which have not been previously charged, 22 in the inverse chronological order as the wages on which the 23 wage credits are based were paid. However if the state “off” 24 indicator is in effect and if the individual is laid off due to 25 the individual’s employer going out of business at the factory, 26 establishment, or other premises at which the individual was 27 last employed, the maximum benefits payable shall be extended 28 to twenty-six times the individual’s weekly benefit amount, 29 but not to exceed the total of the wage credits accrued to the 30 individual’s account. 31 EXPLANATION 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 33 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 34 This bill provides that the maximum total amount of 35 -1- LSB 1607XS (2) 91 je/js 1/ 2

S.F. 157 unemployment benefits payable to an eligible individual during 1 a benefit year shall not exceed 26 times the individual’s 2 weekly benefit amount, rather than 16 times the weekly benefit 3 amount as provided under current law. 4 -2- LSB 1607XS (2) 91 je/js 2/ 2