HBA-EDN, SEP H.B. 567 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 567 By: Deshotel Economic Development 7/16/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prior to the 77th Legislature, unemployment benefits were calculated using a fixed base year and the average weekly wage of manufacturing production workers. This process of computing unemployment benefits was enacted three decades ago and had become outdated in an economy no longer based on manufacturing jobs. House Bill 567 modifies the procedures for the computation of unemployment benefits. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 567 amends the Labor Code to modify the method of computation of the maximum and minimum benefit amounts for total unemployment under the unemployment compensation system. The bill provides that the maximum weekly benefit amount for an eligible individual is 47.6 percent of the average weekly wage in covered employment and the minimum weekly benefit amount is 7.6 percent of the average weekly wage in covered employment. The bill requires the Texas Workforce Commission to determine the average weekly wage in covered employment and to compute the maximum and minimum weekly benefit amount not later than October 1 of each year based on the annual average weekly wage for the preceding year. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning October 1, 2001.