Mich. Comp. Laws § 421.64 — MI Code / Chapter 421 / Act Act-1-of-1936-Ex-Sess- / Section 421.64
Payment of extended benefits.
Status: in_force

Sec. 64.

(1)(a) Payment of extended benefits under this section shall be made at the individual's weekly extended benefit rate, for any week of unemployment that begins in the individual's eligibility period, to each individual who is fully eligible and not disqualified under this act, who has exhausted all rights to regular benefits under this act, who is not seeking or receiving benefits with respect to that week under the unemployment compensation law of Canada, and who does not have rights to benefits under the unemployment compensation law of any other state or the United States or to compensation or allowances under any other federal law, such as the trade expansion act, the automotive products trade act, or the railroad unemployment insurance act; however, if the individual is seeking benefits and the appropriate agency finally determines that the individual is not entitled to benefits under another law, the individual shall be considered to have exhausted the right to benefits. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, an individual shall have exhausted the right to regular benefits under this section with respect to any week of unemployment in the individual's eligibility period under either of the following circumstances:

( i ) When payments of regular benefits may not be made for that week because the individual has received all regular benefits available based on his or her employment or wages during the base period for the current benefit year.

( ii ) When the right to the benefits has terminated before that week by reason of the expiration or termination of the benefit year with respect to which the right existed; and the individual has no, or insufficient, wages or employment to establish a new benefit year. However, for purposes of this subsection, an individual shall be considered to have exhausted the right to regular benefits with respect to any week of unemployment in his or her eligibility period when the individual may become entitled to regular benefits with respect to that week or future weeks, but the benefits are not payable at the time the individual claims extended benefits because final action on a pending redetermination or on an appeal has not yet been taken with respect to eligibility or qualification for the regular benefits or when the individual may be entitled to regular benefits with respect to future weeks of unemployment, but regular benefits are not payable with respect to any week of unemployment in his or her eligibility period by reason of seasonal limitations in any state unemployment compensation law.

(b) Except where inconsistent with the provisions of this section, the terms and conditions of this act that apply to claims for regular benefits and to the payment of those benefits apply to claims for extended benefits and to the payment of those benefits.

(c) An individual shall not be paid additional compensation and extended compensation with respect to the same week. If an individual is potentially eligible for both types of compensation in this state with respect to the same week, the unemployment agency may pay extended compensation instead of additional compensation with respect to the week. If an individual is potentially eligible for extended compensation in 1 state and potentially eligible for additional compensation for the same week in another state, the individual may elect which of the 2 types of compensation to claim.

(2) The unemployment agency shall establish, for each eligible individual who files an application, an extended benefit account with respect to that individual's benefit year. The amount established in the account shall be determined as follows:

(a) If subdivision (b) or (c) does not apply, whichever of the following is smaller:

( i ) Fifty percent of the total amount of regular benefits payable to the individual under this act during the benefit year.

( ii ) Thirteen times the individual's weekly extended benefit rate.

(b) With respect to a week beginning in a period in which the average rate of total unemployment as described in subsection (5)(c)( ii ) equals or exceeds 8%, but no later than the end of the week in which extended benefits payable under this section cease to be funded 100% by the federal government, whichever of the following is smaller:

( i ) Eighty percent of the total amount of regular benefits payable to the individual under this act during the benefit year.

( ii ) Twenty times the individual's weekly extended benefit rate.

If an amount determined under this subsection is not an exact multiple of 1/2 of the individual's weekly extended benefit rate, the amount shall be decreased to the next lower such multiple.

(3) All of the following apply to an extended benefit period:

(a) The period begins with the third week after whichever of the following weeks first occurs:

( i ) A week for which there is a national "on" indicator as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor.

( ii ) A week for which there is a Michigan "on" indicator.

(b) The period ends with the third week after the first week for which there is both a national "off" indicator and a Michigan "off" indicator.

(c) The period is at least 13 consecutive weeks long, and does not begin by reason of a Michigan "on" indicator before the fourteenth week after the close of a prior extended benefit period under this section. However, an extended benefit period terminates with the week preceding the week for which no extended benefit payments are considered to be shareable compensation under the federal-state extended unemployment compensation act of 1970, section 3304 nt of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 3304 nt.

(4) An individual's "eligibility period" consists of the weeks in his or her benefit year that begin in an extended benefit period, and if his or her benefit year ends within the extended benefit period, any weeks thereafter that begin in the period.

(5) (a) With respect to weeks beginning after September 25, 1982, a national "on" indicator for a week shall be determined by the United States Secretary of Labor.

(b) A national "off" indicator for a week shall be determined by the United States Secretary of Labor.

(c) There is a Michigan "on" indicator for a week if 1 or both of the following apply:

( i ) The rate of insured unemployment under this act for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks equaled or exceeded 120% of the average of the insured unemployment rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in each of the preceding 2 calendar years, and equaled or exceeded 5%. With respect to compensation for each week of unemployment beginning after December 17, 2010 and ending December 31, 2011, the rate of insured unemployment under this act for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks equaled or exceeded 120% of the average of the insured unemployment rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in each of the preceding 3 calendar years, and equaled or exceeded 5%.

( ii ) For weeks beginning after December 17, 2010 and ending with the week ending 4 weeks before the last week of unemployment for which 100% federal funding is available for extended benefits, the average rate of total unemployment in this state, seasonally adjusted, as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor, for the period consisting of the most recent 3 months for which data for all states are published before the close of the week equaled or exceeded both of the following:

(A) Six and one-half percent.

(B) One hundred ten percent of the average rate of total unemployment in this state, seasonally adjusted, for the period consisting of the corresponding 3-month period in any or all of the preceding 2 calendar years.

(d) There is a Michigan "off" indicator for a week if, for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks, either subdivision (c)( i ) or (c)( ii ) was not satisfied. Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, if this state is in a period in which temporary extended unemployment compensation is payable in this state under title II of the job creation and worker assistance act of 2002, Public Law 107-147, or another similar federal law, and if the governor has the authority under that federal act or another similar federal law, then the governor may elect to trigger "off" the Michigan indicator for extended benefits under this act only for a period in which temporary extended unemployment compensation is payable in this state, if the election by the governor would not result in a decrease in the number of weeks of unemployment benefits payable to an individual under this act or under federal law.

(e) For purposes of subdivisions (c) and (d), the rate of insured unemployment for any 13-week period shall be determined by reference to the average monthly covered employment under this act for the first 4 of the most recent 6 calendar quarters ending before the close of that period.

(f) As used in this subsection, "rate of insured unemployment" means the percentage determined by dividing:

( i ) The average weekly number of individuals filing claims for regular benefits for weeks of unemployment with respect to the specified period as determined on the basis of the reports made by all state agencies or, in the case of subdivisions (c) and (d), by the unemployment agency, to the federal government; by

( ii ) In the case of subdivisions (c) and (d), the average monthly covered employment under this act for the specified period.

(g) Calculations under subdivisions (c) and (d) shall be made by the unemployment agency and shall conform to regulations, if any, prescribed by the United States Secretary of Labor under section 3304 nt of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 3304 nt.

(6) As used in this section:

(a) "Regular benefits" means benefits payable to an individual under this act and, unless otherwise expressly provided, under any other state unemployment compensation law, including unemployment benefits payable pursuant to 5 USC 8501 to 8525, other than extended benefits, and other than additional benefits which includes training benefits under section 27(g).

(b) "Extended benefits" means benefits, including additional benefits and unemployment benefits payable pursuant to 5 USC 8501 to 8525, payable for weeks of unemployment beginning in an extended benefit period to an individual as provided under this section.

(c) "Additional benefits" means benefits totally financed by a state and payable to exhaustees by reason of conditions of high unemployment or by reason of other special factors under the provisions of any state law as well as training benefits paid under section 27(g) with respect to an extended benefit period.

(d) "Weekly extended benefit rate" means an amount equal to the amount of regular benefits payable under this act to an individual within the individual's benefit year for a week of total unemployment, unless the individual had more than 1 weekly extended benefit rate within that benefit year, in which case the individual's weekly extended benefit rate shall be computed by dividing the maximum amount of regular benefits payable under this act within that benefit year by the number of weeks for which benefits were payable, adjusted to the next lower multiple of $1.00.

(e) "Benefits payable" includes all benefits computed in accordance with section 27(d), irrespective of whether the individual was otherwise eligible for the benefits within his or her current benefit year and irrespective of any benefit reduction by reason of a disqualification that required a reduction.

(7) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1)(b), an individual is ineligible for payment of extended benefits for any week of unemployment if the unemployment agency finds that during that period either of the following occurred:

( i ) The individual failed to accept any offer of suitable work or failed to apply for any suitable work to which the individual was referred by the unemployment agency.

( ii ) The individual failed to actively engage in seeking work as described in subdivision (f).

(b) Any individual who has been found ineligible for extended benefits under subdivision (a) shall also be denied benefits beginning with the first day of the week following the week in which the failure occurred and until the individual has been employed in each of 4 subsequent weeks, whether or not consecutive, and has earned remuneration equal to not less than 4 times the extended weekly benefit amount, as determined under subsection (2).

(c) As used in this subsection, "suitable work" means, with respect to any individual, any work that is within that individual's capabilities, if both of the following apply:

( i ) The gross weekly remuneration payable for the work exceeds the sum of the following:

(A) The individual's extended weekly benefit amount as determined under subsection (2).

(B) The amount, if any, of supplemental unemployment compensation benefits, as defined in section 501(c)(17)(D) of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 501(c)(17)(D), payable to the individual for that week.

( ii ) The employer pays wages not less than the higher of the minimum wage provided by section 6(a)(1) of the fair labor standards act of 1938, 29 USC 206(a)(1), without regard to any exemption, or the applicable state or local minimum wage.

(d) An individual shall not be denied extended benefits for failure to accept an offer of, or apply for, any job that meets the definition of suitable work in subdivision (c) if 1 or more of the following are true:

( i ) The position was not offered to the individual in writing and was not listed with the state employment service.

( ii ) The failure could not result in a denial of benefits under the definition of suitable work in section 29(6) to the extent that the criteria of suitability in that section are not inconsistent with the provisions of subdivision (c).

( iii ) The individual furnishes satisfactory evidence to the unemployment agency that his or her prospects for obtaining work in his or her customary occupation within a reasonably short period are good. If that evidence is deemed satisfactory for this purpose, the determination of whether any work is suitable with respect to that individual shall be made in accordance with the definition of suitable work in section 29(6) without regard to the definition in subdivision (c).

(e) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(b), work is not suitable work for an individual if the work does not meet the labor standard provisions required by section 3304(a)(5) of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 3304(a)(5), and section 29(7).

(f) For the purposes of subdivision (a)( ii ), an individual is actively engaged in seeking work during any week if both of the following are true:

( i ) The individual has engaged in a systematic and sustained effort to obtain work during that week.

( ii ) The individual furnishes tangible evidence to the unemployment agency that he or she has engaged in a systematic and sustained effort during that week.

(g) The unemployment agency shall refer any applicant for extended benefits to any suitable work that meets the criteria prescribed in subdivisions (c) and (d).

(h) An individual is not eligible to receive extended benefits with respect to any week of unemployment in his or her eligibility period if that individual has been disqualified for benefits under this act because he or she voluntarily left work, was discharged for misconduct, or failed to accept an offer of or apply for suitable work unless the individual requalified in accordance with a specific provision of this act requiring that the individual be employed subsequent to the week in which the act or discharge occurred that caused the disqualification.

(8) (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), payment of extended benefits shall not be made to any individual for any week of unemployment that otherwise would have been payable pursuant to an interstate claim filed in any state under the interstate benefit payment plan, if an extended benefit period is not in effect for the week in the state in which the interstate claim is filed.

(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply with respect to the first 2 weeks for which extended benefits are payable, pursuant to an interstate claim, to the individual from the extended benefit account established for the individual.

(9) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1)(b), an individual who established a benefit year under section 46 on or after January 2, 1983, shall be eligible to receive extended benefits only if the individual earned wages in an amount exceeding 40 times the individual's most recent weekly benefit rate during the base period of the benefit year that is used to establish the individual's extended benefit account under subsection (2).

(10) This subsection is effective for weeks of unemployment beginning after October 30, 1982. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an individual's extended benefit entitlement, 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 of trade readjustment allowances, paid under the trade act of 1974, Public Law 93-618, within that benefit year, multiplied by the individual's weekly benefit amount for extended benefits.

History: Add. 1970, Act 128, Imd. Eff. July 27, 1970; Am. 1971, Act 231, Imd. Eff. Jan. 3, 1972; Am. 1974, Act 104, Eff. June 9, 1974; Am. 1977, Act 277, Eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Am. 1981, Act 107, Imd. Eff. July 17, 1981; Am. 1982, Act 247, Imd. Eff. Sept. 23, 1982; Am. 1983, Act 164, Imd. Eff. July 24, 1983; Am. 1984, Act 172, Imd. Eff. June 29, 1984; Am. 1993, Act 275, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 1993; Am. 2003, Act 174, Imd. Eff. Aug. 14, 2003; Am. 2009, Act 19, Imd. Eff. Apr. 13, 2009; Am. 2011, Act 14, Imd. Eff. Mar. 29, 2011; Am. 2011, Act 269, Imd. Eff. Dec. 19, 2011; Am. 2020, Act 229, Imd. Eff. Oct. 20, 2020