Kansas Statutes
Article 7 - Employment Security Law
44-704a Extended benefits.

44-704a. Extended benefits. (a) Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
(1) "Extended benefit period" means a period which:
(A) Begins with the third week after a week for which there is an "on" indicator; and
(B) ends with either of the following weeks, whichever occurs later: (i) The third week after the first week for which there is an "off" indicator; or (ii) the 13th consecutive week of such period, except that no extended benefit period may begin by reason of an "on" indicator before the 14th week following the end of a prior extended benefit period which was in effect with respect to this state.
(2) For the purposes of this section:
(A) There is an "on" indicator for this state for a week if the secretary of labor determines, in accordance with the regulations of the United States secretary of labor, that, for the period consisting of such week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks, the rate of insured unemployment (not seasonally adjusted) under this act: (i) Equaled or exceeded 5% and equaled or exceeded 120% of the average of such rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in each of the preceding two calendar years and the state of Kansas pays a portion of such benefits in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 44-710(c)(2)(C) and 44-710(e), and amendments thereto; or (ii) equaled or exceeded 5% and equaled or exceeded 120% of the average of such rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in each of the preceding three calendar years and until on or before the earlier of the latest date permitted under federal law or the end of the fourth week prior to the last week for which federal sharing is provided as authorized by section 2005(a) of public law 111-5 without regard to section 2005(c) of public law 111-5; or (iii) equaled or exceeded 6%; or (iv) with respect to benefits for weeks of unemployment beginning after March 6, 1993, (a) the average rate of total unemployment (seasonally adjusted), as determined by the United States secretary of labor, for the period consisting of the most recent three months for which data for all states are published before the close of such week equals or exceeds 6.5%, and (b) the average rate of total unemployment for this state (seasonally adjusted), as determined by the United States secretary of labor, for the three-month period referred to in clause (iv)(a)(1), equals or exceeds 110% of such average for either or both of the corresponding three-month periods ending in the two preceding calendar years; or (2) equals or exceeds 110% of such average for any or all of the corresponding three-month periods ending in each of the three preceding calendar years and until on or before the earlier of the latest date permitted under federal law or the end of the fourth week prior to the last week for which federal sharing is provided as authorized by section 2005(a) of public law 111-5 without regard to section 2005(c) of public law 111-5.
(B) (i) There is an "off" indicator for this state for a week if the secretary of labor determines, in accordance with the regulations of the United States secretary of labor, that for the period consisting of such week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks, the rate of insured unemployment (not seasonally adjusted) under this act: (a) (1) Was less than 5% or less than 120% of the average of such rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in each of the preceding two calendar years; or (2) was less than 5% or less than 120% of the average of such rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in any or all of the three preceding calendar years and until on or before the earlier of the latest date permitted under federal law or the end of the fourth week prior to the last week for which federal sharing is provided as authorized by section 2005(a) of public law 111-5 without regard to section 2005(c) of public law 111-5; and (b) was less than 5%.
(ii) There is an "off" indicator for this state for a week only if, for the period consisting of such week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks, none of the conditions specified in subsection (a)(2)(A) of this section result in an "on" indicator.
(3) "Rate of insured unemployment," for purposes of paragraphs (2)(A) and (2)(B) of this subsection, means the percentage derived by dividing:
(A) The average weekly number of individuals filing claims for regular benefits in this state for weeks of unemployment with respect to the most recent 13-consecutive-week period, as determined by the secretary of labor on the basis of reports to the United States secretary of labor; by
(B) the average monthly employment covered under this act for the first four of the most recent six completed calendar quarters ending before the end of such 13-week period.
(4) "Extended entitlement period" of an individual means the period consisting of the weeks of the individual's benefit year which begin in an extended benefit period and, if the individual's benefit year ends within such extended benefit period, any weeks thereafter which begin in such period.
(5) "Extended benefits" means benefits (including benefits payable to federal civilian employees and to ex-service personnel pursuant to 5 U.S.C.A. chapter 85) payable to an individual under the provisions of the act for weeks of unemployment in the individual's extended entitlement period.
(6) "Exhaustee" means an individual who, with respect to any week of unemployment in the individual's extended entitlement period:
(A) Has received, prior to such week, all of the regular benefits that were available to the individual under this act or any other state law (including dependents' allowances and benefits payable to federal civilian employees and ex-service personnel under 5 U.S.C.A. chapter 85) in the individual's current benefit year that includes such week, provided that, for the purposes of this paragraph (6)(A), an individual shall be deemed to have received all of the regular benefits that were available to the individual although the individual may subsequently be determined to be entitled to added regular benefits as a result of a pending appeal with respect to wages that were not considered in the original monetary determination of the individual's benefit year; or
(B) the individual's benefit year having expired prior to such week, has no, or insufficient, wages on the basis of which the individual could establish a new benefit year that would include such week; and
(C) (i) has no right to unemployment benefits or allowances, as the case may be, under the federal railroad unemployment insurance act and such other federal laws as are specified in regulations issued by the United States secretary of labor; and (ii) has not received and is not seeking unemployment benefits under the unemployment compensation law of Canada; but if the individual is seeking such benefits and the appropriate agency finally determines that the individual is not entitled to benefits under such law the individual is considered an exhaustee.
(7) "State law" means the unemployment compensation law of any state, approved by the United States secretary of labor under section 3304 of the federal internal revenue code of 1986.
(b) Payment of extended benefits. Extended benefits shall be payable to eligible individuals with respect to weeks of unemployment in their extended entitlement periods. The extended benefits provided by this section and K.S.A. 44-704b, and amendments thereto, shall be payable from the fund. All extended benefits shall be paid through the employment offices, in accordance with such rules and regulations as the secretary of labor may adopt.
(c) Beginning and termination of extended benefit period. (1) Whenever an extended benefit period is to become effective in this state as a result of an "on" indicator, or an extended benefit period is to be terminated in this state as a result of an "off" indicator, the secretary of labor shall make an appropriate public announcement.
(2) Computations required by the provisions of subsection (a)(3) of this section shall be made by the secretary of labor, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the United States secretary of labor.
(d) Weekly extended benefit amount. The weekly extended benefit amount payable to an individual for a week of total unemployment in the individual's extended entitlement period shall be an amount equal to the regular weekly benefit amount payable to the individual during the individual's applicable benefit year, except that for any week during a period in which federal payments to states under section 204 of the federal-state extended unemployment compensation act of 1970 are reduced pursuant to an order issued under section 252 of the federal balanced budget and emergency deficit control act of 1985, the weekly extended benefit amount payable to an individual for a week of total unemployment in the individual's eligibility period shall be reduced by a percentage amount which is equivalent to the reduction in the federal payment. If such reduced weekly extended benefit amount is not a multiple of $1, it shall be reduced to the next lower multiple of $1.
(e) Total extended benefit amount. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (e)(2) or (e)(3) of this section, the total extended benefit amount payable to any eligible individual with respect to the individual's applicable benefit year shall be the least of the following amounts:
(A) Fifty percent of the total amount of regular benefits which were payable to the individual under this act in the individual's applicable benefit year; or
(B) thirteen times the individual's weekly benefit amount which was payable to the individual under this act for a week of total unemployment in the applicable benefit year.
(2) Effective with respect to weeks beginning in a high unemployment period, the provisions of subsection (e)(1) of this section shall be applied by substituting "80%" for "50%" in subparagraph (A) of that subsection (e)(1), and by substituting "20" for "13" in subparagraph (B) of that subsection (e)(1). For purposes of this subsection (e)(2), the term "high unemployment period" means any period during which an extended benefit period would be in effect if the provisions of subsection (a)(2)(A)(iii) of this section were applied after substituting "8%" for "6.5%" in clause (a) of that subsection (a)(2)(A)(iii).
(3) During any fiscal year in which federal payments to states under section 204 of the federal-state extended unemployment compensation act of 1970 are reduced pursuant to an order issued under section 252 of the federal balanced budget and emergency deficit control act of 1985, the total extended benefit amount payable to an individual with respect to the individual's applicable benefit year shall be reduced by an amount equal to the total of all of the reductions under subsection (d) of this section in the weekly extended benefit amounts paid to the individual.
(f) Eligibility requirements for extended benefits. An individual shall be eligible to receive extended benefits with respect to any week of unemployment in the individual's extended entitlement period only if the secretary of labor, or a person or persons designated by the secretary, finds that with respect to such week:
(1) The individual is an "exhaustee" as defined in subsection (a)(6) of this section;
(2) the individual is qualified and eligible for extended benefits pursuant to K.S.A. 44-704b, and amendments thereto;
(3) the individual is entitled to benefits pursuant to the provisions of this act which apply to claims for, or the payment of regular benefits which are not inconsistent with the provisions of K.S.A. 44-704b, and amendments thereto; and
(4) the individual, during the base period, (A) was paid wages for insured work equal to or greater than 1½ times the amount of total wages paid for the quarter in which such wages were highest during the individual's base period; or (B) has been paid an amount equal to or exceeding 40 times the individual's most recent weekly benefit amount in the individual's base period.
(g) Limitation on amount of combined regular, extended and trade readjustment act benefits received. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section or K.S.A. 44-704b, and amendments thereto, if the benefit year of any individual ends within an extended entitlement period, the remaining balance of extended benefits that the individual would, but for this section, be entitled to receive in that extended entitlement period, with respect to weeks of unemployment beginning after the end of the benefit year, shall be reduced (but not below zero) by the product of the number of weeks for which the individual received any amounts as trade readjustment allowances within that benefit year, multiplied by the individual's weekly benefit amount for extended benefits.
History: L. 1971, ch. 180, § 10; L. 1973, ch. 205, § 3; L. 1976, ch. 370, § 58; L. 1977, ch. 182, § 1; L. 1981, ch. 204, § 2; L. 1982, ch. 214, § 1; L. 1987, ch. 191, § 2; L. 1989, ch. 150, § 2; L. 1993, ch. 251, § 2; L. 2004, ch. 179, § 55; L. 2011, ch. 85, § 2; May 19.

Structure Kansas Statutes