<a id="pl.1.3"></a><var>1.3</var>certain workers laid off from the Ainsworth Lumber Company.<br/>
<a id="pl.1.4"></a><var>1.4</var>BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:<br/>
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<a id="bill.0.1.0"></a><a id="pl.1.5"></a><var>1.5</var>    Section 1. <b>LUMBER COMPANY EXTRA BENEFITS.</b><br/>
<a id="pl.1.6"></a><var>1.6</var>    Subdivision 1. <b>Extra benefits; availability.</b> Extra unemployment benefits are <br/>
<a id="pl.1.7"></a><var>1.7</var>available to an applicant if the applicant was laid off due to lack of work after April 1, <br/>
<a id="pl.1.8"></a><var>1.8</var>2006, from the Ainsworth Lumber Company plants in Bemidji, Cook, and Grand Rapids, <br/>
<a id="pl.1.9"></a><var>1.9</var>and established a benefit account under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.07, prior to March <br/>
<a id="pl.1.10"></a><var>1.10</var>1, 2007.<br/>
<a id="pl.1.11"></a><var>1.11</var>    Subd. 2. <b>Payment from fund; effect on employer.</b> Extra unemployment benefits <br/>
<a id="pl.1.12"></a><var>1.12</var>are payable from the unemployment insurance trust fund. Extra unemployment benefits <br/>
<a id="pl.1.13"></a><var>1.13</var>paid under this section will not be used in computing the experience rating of Ainsworth <br/>
<a id="pl.1.14"></a><var>1.14</var>Lumber Company under Minnesota Statutes, section 268.047.<br/>
<a id="pl.1.15"></a><var>1.15</var>    Subd. 3. <b>Eligibility conditions.</b> An applicant is eligible to receive extra <br/>
<a id="pl.1.16"></a><var>1.16</var>unemployment benefits under this section for any week through December 31, 2007, <br/>
<a id="pl.1.17"></a><var>1.17</var>following the effective date of the applicant's benefit account of regular unemployment <br/>
<a id="pl.1.18"></a><var>1.18</var>benefits, as a result of a layoff described under subdivision 1, if:<br/>
<a id="pl.1.19"></a><var>1.19</var>    (1) a majority of the applicant's wage credits were with Ainsworth Lumber Company <br/>
<a id="pl.1.20"></a><var>1.20</var>or Ainsworth Engineered;<br/>
<a id="pl.1.21"></a><var>1.21</var>    (2) the applicant meets the eligibility requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section <br/>
<a id="pl.1.22"></a><var>1.22</var>268.085;<br/>
<a id="pl.1.23"></a><var>1.23</var>    (3) the applicant is not subject to a disqualification under Minnesota Statutes, section <br/>
<a id="pl.1.24"></a><var>1.24</var>268.095;<br/>
<a id="pl.2.1"></a><var>2.1</var>    (4) the applicant is not entitled to regular unemployment benefits and the applicant <br/>
<a id="pl.2.2"></a><var>2.2</var>is not entitled to receive unemployment benefits under any other state or federal law <br/>
<a id="pl.2.3"></a><var>2.3</var>for that week; and<br/>
<a id="pl.2.4"></a><var>2.4</var>    (5) the applicant is enrolled in, or has within the last two weeks successfully <br/>
<a id="pl.2.5"></a><var>2.5</var>completed, a program that qualifies as reemployment assistance training under Minnesota <br/>
<a id="pl.2.6"></a><var>2.6</var>Statutes, section 268.035, subdivision 21a, except that an applicant whose training is <br/>
<a id="pl.2.7"></a><var>2.7</var>scheduled to begin in more than 30 days may be considered to be in training if:  (i) the <br/>
<a id="pl.2.8"></a><var>2.8</var>applicant's chosen training program does not offer an available start date within 30 days; <br/>
<a id="pl.2.9"></a><var>2.9</var>(ii) the applicant is scheduled to begin training on the earliest available start date for <br/>
<a id="pl.2.10"></a><var>2.10</var>the chosen training program; and (iii) the applicant is scheduled to begin training in no <br/>
<a id="pl.2.11"></a><var>2.11</var>more than 60 days.<br/>
<a id="pl.2.12"></a><var>2.12</var>    Subd. 4. <b>Weekly amount of extra benefits.</b> The weekly extra unemployment <br/>
<a id="pl.2.13"></a><var>2.13</var>benefits amount available to an applicant is the same as the applicant's weekly regular <br/>
<a id="pl.2.14"></a><var>2.14</var>unemployment benefit amount on the benefit account established as a result of a layoff <br/>
<a id="pl.2.15"></a><var>2.15</var>under subdivision 1.<br/>
<a id="pl.2.16"></a><var>2.16</var>    Subd. 5. <b>Maximum amount of extra unemployment benefits.</b> (a) The maximum <br/>
<a id="pl.2.17"></a><var>2.17</var>amount of extra unemployment benefits available is equal to 13 weeks at the applicant's <br/>
<a id="pl.2.18"></a><var>2.18</var>weekly extra unemployment benefits amount.<br/>
<a id="pl.2.19"></a><var>2.19</var>    (b) If an applicant qualifies for a new regular benefit account under Minnesota <br/>
<a id="pl.2.20"></a><var>2.20</var>Statutes, section 268.07, at any time after exhausting regular unemployment benefits <br/>
<a id="pl.2.21"></a><var>2.21</var>as a result of the layoff under subdivision 1, the applicant must apply for and exhaust <br/>
<a id="pl.2.22"></a><var>2.22</var>entitlement to those new regular unemployment benefits. The maximum amount of extra <br/>
<a id="pl.2.23"></a><var>2.23</var>unemployment benefits available is reduced by any new regular unemployment benefits <br/>
<a id="pl.2.24"></a><var>2.24</var>available if the majority of wage credits on that new regular benefit account were with <br/>
<a id="pl.2.25"></a><var>2.25</var>Ainsworth Lumber Company or Ainsworth Engineered.<br/>
<a id="pl.2.26"></a><var>2.26</var>    Subd. 6. <b>Program expiration.</b> This extra unemployment benefit program expires <br/>
<a id="pl.2.27"></a><var>2.27</var>on December 31, 2007. No extra unemployment benefits may be paid for any week after <br/>
<a id="pl.2.28"></a><var>2.28</var>the expiration of this program.<br/>
<a id="pl.2.29"></a><var>2.29</var>    Subd. 7. <b>Findings.</b> The legislature finds that providing extra unemployment <br/>
<a id="pl.2.30"></a><var>2.30</var>benefits to assist laid-off workers of Ainsworth Lumber Company, while in training, is <br/>
<a id="pl.2.31"></a><var>2.31</var>appropriate because:<br/>
<a id="pl.2.32"></a><var>2.32</var>    (1) the unemployment rate in the applicant's county of employment is higher than <br/>
<a id="pl.2.33"></a><var>2.33</var>the statewide average rate of unemployment;<br/>
<a id="pl.2.34"></a><var>2.34</var>    (2) the average weekly wages paid in the applicant's county of employment is below <br/>
<a id="pl.2.35"></a><var>2.35</var>the statewide average weekly wage;<br/>
<a id="pl.3.1"></a><var>3.1</var>    (3) the applicant's weekly wage is higher than the statewide average weekly wage; <br/>
<a id="pl.3.2"></a><var>3.2</var>and<br/>
<a id="pl.3.3"></a><var>3.3</var>    (4) the dislocated worker program has determined that the applicant does not <br/>
<a id="pl.3.4"></a><var>3.4</var>currently possess skills making reemployment in a comparable position likely.<br/>
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<a id="bill.0.2.0"></a><a id="pl.3.5"></a><var>3.5</var>    Sec. 2. <b>EFFECTIVE DATE.</b><br/>
<a id="pl.3.6"></a><var>3.6</var>    Section 1 is effective the first Sunday following final enactment.<br/>