§ 8-1105

(a) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, the weekly amount of extended benefits payable for a week of total unemployment during an individual’s eligibility period is equal to the amount of regular benefits, including allowances for dependents, payable to the individual for a week of total unemployment during the applicable benefit year.

(b) The total amount of extended benefits payable to an eligible individual for the applicable benefit year of the individual may not be less than the lesser of:

(1) 50% of the total amount of regular benefits, including allowances for dependents, payable to the individual during that benefit year;

(2) 13 times the average weekly benefit amount of the individual; or

(3) 39 times the average weekly benefit amount of the individual, reduced by the amount of regular benefits paid or deemed paid to the individual during that benefit year.

(c) If the benefit year of an individual ends during an extended benefit period, the balance of extended benefits to which the individual is entitled for weeks of unemployment beginning after the benefit year shall be reduced, but not below zero, by an amount computed by:

(1) determining the number of weeks for which the individual received any amounts as trade readjustment allowances under the federal Trade Act of 1974 within that benefit year; and

(2) multiplying the number determined under item (1) of this subsection by the weekly amount of extended benefits of the individual.

(d) An individual who otherwise is eligible to receive benefits may not be denied regular benefits or extended benefits for any week because the individual:

(1) is in a training program that the United States Secretary of Labor approves under 19 U.S.C. § 2296(a)(1); or

(2) leaves work that is not suitable to enter a training program that the United States Secretary of Labor approves under 19 U.S.C. § 2296(a)(1) because:

(i) the work was not of substantially equal or a higher skill level than the past adversely affected employment of the individual as defined under 19 U.S.C. § 2296(f); and

(ii) the wages for the work were less than 80% of the average weekly wage of the individual as determined under 19 U.S.C. § 2296(e).

(e) (1) In this subsection, “high unemployment period” means any period during which:

(i) an extended benefit period would be in effect under § 8–1103(f) of this subtitle; and

(ii) 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 3 months for which data for all states are published before the close of that week is at least 8%.

(2) This subsection applies only to weeks of unemployment in a high unemployment period.

(3) The total amount of extended benefits payable to an eligible individual for the applicable benefit year of the individual may not be less than the lesser of:

(i) 80% of the total amount of regular benefits, including allowances for dependents, payable to the individual during the benefit year;

(ii) 20 times the average weekly benefit amount of the individual, including allowances for dependents; or

(iii) 46 times the average weekly extended benefit amount, reduced by the regular benefits, not including dependents’ allowances, paid or deemed paid to the individual during that benefit year.