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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, May 29, 2020 Page 11 COVID-19: Legislature passes bill to provide relief and improve access to unemployment benefits B OSTON – Representative Steven Ultrino (D-Malden) joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to pass a bill that will provide additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) relief to low-income families, nonprofit institutions and employers. On May 21, An Act providing additional support to those affected by the novel coronavirus through the unemployment insurance system was enacted and laid before the governor for consideration. The bill builds on the legislature’s efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and follows the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which increased UI benefits and expanded eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. “From the outset of this public health pandemic, our focus has been on easing the burdens felt by working families, and this thoughtfully crafted bipartisan legislation exemplifies that commitment,” stated Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “With this legislation, we are taking steps to ensure Massachusetts workers and employers can maximize the benefits available to them through state and federal actions. I am thankful to my Senate colleagues as well as Speaker DeLeo and his members for their work in moving this legislation one step closer to becoming law.” “This bill protects employers, including nonprofits, and workers as we deal with the economic crisis in the wake of COVID-19,” said House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “I thank Chair Michlewitz, Chair Ferrante, Vice Chair Hay, Senate President Spilka, and my colleagues in the House and Senate for their work on this important UI Bill.” “With the passage of this bill, the Senate is building on its commitment to support the workers and business owners of the Commonwealth who are struggling with the financial impacts of COVID-19,” said Senator Michael Rodrigues (DWestport), who is Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Joint CommitMALDEN: TODAY | FROM PAGE 9 Christmas.” (He wrote this in May.) “There’s a line between the Indianapolis Speedway and Exchange Street that’s hard to draw on a morning such as this.” “The Audubon Society just sighted a double-breasted seersucker in Jordan Marsh.” “This is the end, beautiful tee on Ways & Means. “I applaud my colleagues in the Senate and the House for continuing to work collaboratively to provide relief to the state’s most vulnerable citizens during this challenging time.” “Throughout this pandemic our unemployment system has been put under tremendous stress as employers and employees try to navigate the system,” said Representative Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), who is Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Ways & Means. “By passing this legislation we will help both businesses and workers alike have a more streamlined relationship with the unemployment system.” “Our Commonwealth is confronting both a health crisis and an economic crisis. Due to no fault of their own, more than 1 million Massachusetts residents have now filed for unemployment. Our communities face layoffs on a scale that has no modern precedent, with potentially devastating long-term consequences if policymakers fail to act swiftly,” said Senator Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow), who is Co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. “It is urgent that families receive their benefits in a timely matter, that the benefit period is extended and properly compensates families with dependents, and that small business owners also get relief from fines and penalties that are unjustly applied. This legislation will help offer such relief, which is why it passed both the Massachusetts Senate and House with bipartisan support. On behalf of the more than one million families and hundreds of small businesses facing urgent need, I urge Governor Baker to sign this legislation immediately.” “Clearly, Covid-19 has presented many challenges to the Commonwealth. Chief among them are protecting residents from a potential life threatening virus, financial ruin and friend; this is the end, my only friend, the end...” Damn you, Covid-19! You take from us the most vulnerable. Our weakest. The ones who survived Korea, Nam, Richard Nixon and “Lite” beer; the elderly who’ve paid their dues and have earned the right to leave on their own terms. Your time will come, you expletive deleted. This great country of ours has the best and hunger. In Massachusetts and across the country, we have seen unparalleled levels of unemployment,” said Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester), who is Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. “As our residents try to navigate an enormously difficult health care and economic crisis, this unemployment legislation allows the Commonwealth to work more effectively with the business and nonprofit communities by streamlining unemployment regulations and mitigating costs while simultaneously tending to the needs of residents, who may require additional time to return to work.” “It is so important that we continue to support the people who have had their incomes interrupted by the efforts necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19,” said Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville), who is Co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. “I am glad we are able to take this step to expand unemployment to help more people, and their families, longer and with extended benefits.” “This bill provides critical support to businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities facing an unprecedented crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this bill contains a necessary change to the unemployment system to help low-income families struggling to make ends meet by raising the cap on dependency benefits,” said Representative Stephan Hay (D-Fitchburg), who is Vice Chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. “I am proud of the work done by this legislature to respond to the needs of the Commonwealth during an extremely difficult time.” “Unemployment benefits are a critical lifeline in an economic storm and the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the brightest determined to eradicate you and this scourge once and for all. We have a real-life warrior in one Dr. Anthony Fauci leading the assault, followed closely by fearless real-life heroes and role models, like Andrew Cuomo, Rick Bright and the brilliant minds at the CDC, never mind everyday heroes, like our health care professionals, who will crush this monster importance of having a sound unemployment insurance system that responds effectively to people depending on it,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “The measures contained in this bill will go a long way to strengthening our system and helping individuals and families when they need it most.” “The economic fallout from the COVID-19 global pandemic has been devastating, with over one million Massachusetts residents filing for unemployment and businesses struggling to survive. This bill takes additional steps to assist residents and employers impacted by the pandemic,” said House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading). “It allows for a four-week extension in benefits if new unemployment claims filed in any week exceed 100,000, and lays the groundwork for lifting the dependency cap. It also protects employers from being penalized and hit with rate increases if they are forced to lay off workers due to the pandemic. This bill will help families and businesses as we continue to navigate through this unprecedented public health crisis.” “I was proud to join my colleagues in the House to pass this urgent piece of legislation that will expand unemployment benefits for low-income families, nonprofits, and employers,” said Representative Ultrino. “It is more crucial now than ever to ensure that our most vulnerable populations in the Commonwealth are supported and do not fall through the cracks.” The components of the bill Protection for employers: Employers who participate in UI pay contributions based on their layoff experience. Like other forms of insurance, employers that are more likely to have workers use UI are asked to pay more in the system. The system does not anticipate a situation where employers across several sectors have been forced to sigin due time. In closing, I would like to take a moment to say goodbye and state respectfully “rest peacefully” to a few in my life that I have lost. Amerige Park guys Bert and Cliff Cioffi lost their dad in April. The “Boston Boogie-Woogie Man” John “Preacher Jack” Coughlin lost a short battle in April also. A man who had Edgeworth in his soul, Billy Casamennificantly reduce their workforces due to situations outside of their control. This bill prevents layoffs related to COVID-19 from negatively impacting an employer’s future UI contributions. Extending unemployment benefit period: The number of weeks of unemployment compensation available in Massachusetts is tied to unemployment rates around the state; however, this trigger did not anticipate a situation in which unemployment grows rapidly in a very short time. This bill ensures that the 30-week benefit period is triggered by a significant uptick in weekly unemployment claims. Lifting the cap on dependency allotment: This bill eliminates the 50% cap for the dependency allotment providing additional benefits to low-income families. This increase will be in addition to the $600 per week benefit add-on provided for in the CARES Act for all workers eligible for state or federal benefits. This provision is effective for 18 months after the end of the COVID-19 emergency and the end of enhanced federal benefits. Currently, UI recipients are entitled to an additional $25 per week for each child in the family, capped at 50% of a recipient’s base allotment. The result is that workers with particularly low allotments, such as low wage workers, can easily be capped out of receiving these additional amounts. Nonprofit contribution grace period: Presently, many nonprofits self-insure for unemployment claims. This means that when layoffs in the sector occur, nonprofits pay the cost of those benefits dollar for dollar at the next billing period. This bill provides a 120-day grace period for nonprofits to make these contributions. This delay will allow the state to review additional changes that are warranted to mitigate the impact on nonprofits. The CARES Act provides 50% reimbursement for self-insured benefit payments during the COVID-19 crisis. to, lost his battle on April 17. Three fine men. One awful, soon to be defeated virus. Take solace, men, that you will always be remembered. Postscript: Shakespeare: “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, “When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, “Must give us pause…” Rest in peace, Little Richard.

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