1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to unemployment insurance; providing extra unemployment benefits 
1.3 	for certain electricians.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. EXTRA BENEFITS FOR ELECTRICIANS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Extra benefits; availability. Extra unemployment benefits are 
1.7 	available to an applicant if:
1.8 	(1) the applicant is currently a resident of Minnesota;
1.9 	(2) the applicant was permanently laid off due to lack of work;
1.10 	(3) the applicant's primary occupation is that of electrician as classified under the 
1.11 	North American Industrial Classification Code 824261 or 829261; and
1.12 	(4) the applicant exhausted all benefits available on a regular unemployment benefit 
1.13 	account during calendar year 2007.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Payment from fund; effect on employer. Extra unemployment benefits 
1.15 	are payable from the unemployment insurance trust fund. Extra unemployment benefits 
1.16 	paid under this section will be used in computing the experience rating of the base period 
1.17 	employers of applicants who qualify for extra benefits under this section.
1.18 		Subd. 3.Eligibility conditions. An applicant is eligible to receive extra 
1.19 	unemployment benefits under this section for any week through July 1, 2008, following 
1.20 	the effective date of the applicant's benefit account of regular unemployment benefits, as a 
1.21 	result of a layoff described under subdivision 1, if:
1.22 	(1) a majority of the applicant's wage credits were from employment in Minnesota;
1.23 	(2) the applicant meets the eligibility requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 
1.24 	268.085;
2.1 	(3) the applicant is not subject to a disqualification under Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.2 	268.095; and
2.3 	(4) the applicant is not entitled to regular unemployment benefits under Minnesota 
2.4 	Statutes, section 268.07, and the applicant is not entitled to receive unemployment benefits 
2.5 	under any federal law or the law of any other state for that week.
2.6 	If an applicant qualifies for a new regular benefit account under Minnesota Statutes, 
2.7 	section 268.07, or any federal law or the law of any other state at any time after exhausting 
2.8 	regular unemployment benefits as a result of the layoff under subdivision 1, the applicant 
2.9 	must apply for and exhaust entitlement to those new regular unemployment benefits.
2.10 		Subd. 4.Weekly amount of extra benefits. The weekly extra unemployment 
2.11 	benefits amount available to an applicant is the same as the applicant's weekly regular 
2.12 	unemployment benefit amount on the benefit account established as a result of a layoff 
2.13 	under subdivision 1.
2.14 		Subd. 5.Maximum amount of extra unemployment benefits. The maximum 
2.15 	amount of extra unemployment benefits available is equal to the maximum amount of 
2.16 	regular unemployment benefits available to the applicant up to 26 times the applicant's 
2.17 	weekly extra unemployment benefits amount.
2.18 		Subd. 6.Program expiration. This extra unemployment benefit program expires 
2.19 	on July 1, 2008. No extra unemployment benefits shall be paid for any week after the 
2.20 	expiration of this program.

2.21 	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 2.22 	Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.