1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to unemployment insurance; providing eligibility for unemployment 
1.3 	benefits and extra benefits for certain mechanics involved in a labor dispute 
1.4 	with Northwest Airlines, Inc.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. ELIGIBILITY EXCEPTION; EXTRA BENEFITS.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Conditions. Notwithstanding the requirements of Minnesota 
1.8 	Statutes, section 268.07 or 268.086, the commissioner of employment and economic 
1.9 	development shall pay unemployment benefits under subdivision 2 to an applicant who:
1.10 	(1) was employed as a technician or inspector for Northwest Airlines, Inc. prior 
1.11 	to August 20, 2005;
1.12 	(2) stopped working on or about August 20, 2005, due to a labor dispute between the 
1.13 	Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) and Northwest Airlines, Inc.;
1.14 	(3) established or was eligible to establish an unemployment benefit account with 
1.15 	the Department of Employment and Economic Development as a result of the labor 
1.16 	dispute; and
1.17 	(4) meets all the ongoing eligibility requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 
1.18 	268.085, exclusive of the requirements to file an application for benefits and timely file 
1.19 	continued biweekly requests for benefits under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.086.
1.20 		Subd. 2.Benefits. If an applicant meets the requirements of subdivision 1, the 
1.21 	commissioner shall pay the applicant benefits for any periods of unemployment during the 
1.22 	applicant's benefit year after August 20, 2005, in the same amount as if the applicant had 
1.23 	filed an application for benefits and had continued to file biweekly requests for benefits as 
2.1 	required by law. If an applicant has not yet filed an application for benefits, the applicant 
2.2 	shall submit an application prior to receiving benefits under this subdivision.
2.3 		Subd. 3.Extra benefits. (a) Extra unemployment benefits are available to an 
2.4 	applicant described under subdivision 1 if the applicant has exhausted regular benefits 
2.5 	paid under subdivision 2.
2.6 	(b) The maximum amount of extra unemployment benefits available is 26 times the 
2.7 	applicant's weekly extra unemployment benefits amount. The weekly extra unemployment 
2.8 	benefits amount available to an applicant is the same as the applicant's weekly regular 
2.9 	unemployment benefit amount on the benefit account established as a result of the labor 
2.10 	dispute under subdivision 1.
2.11 	(c) An applicant is eligible to receive extra unemployment benefits under this 
2.12 	subdivision for any week prior to December 31, 2007.
2.13 	(d) If an applicant qualifies for a new regular benefit account at any time after 
2.14 	exhausting regular unemployment benefits as a result of the labor dispute described in 
2.15 	subdivision 1, the applicant must apply for and exhaust entitlement to those new regular 
2.16 	unemployment benefits.
2.17 		Subd. 4.Payment from fund; effect on employer. Regular and extra 
2.18 	unemployment benefits authorized by this section are payable from the unemployment 
2.19 	insurance trust fund. Benefits paid under this section will be used in computing the 
2.20 	experience rating of Northwest Airlines, Inc. under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.047.

2.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
2.22 	and applies retroactively from August 20, 2005.