SB0334FCS

SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL 334

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

AN ACT

RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION; ESTABLISHING A TEMPORARY SCHEDULE FOR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION FUND; ESTABLISHING A NEW FORMULA FOR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION FUND; PROVIDING FOR AN EXCESS CLAIMS PREMIUM; AMENDING, REPEALING AND ENACTING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1. Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1936 (S.S.), Chapter 1, Section 6, as amended) is amended to read:

"51-1-8. CLAIMS FOR BENEFITS.--

A. Claims for benefits shall be made in accordance with such regulations as the secretary may prescribe. Each employer shall post and maintain printed notices, in places readily accessible to employees, concerning their rights to file claims for unemployment benefits upon termination of their employment. Such notices shall be supplied by the division to each employer without cost to the employer.

B. A representative designated by the secretary as a claims examiner shall promptly examine the application and each weekly claim and, on the basis of the facts found, shall determine whether the claimant is unemployed, the week with respect to which benefits shall commence, the weekly benefit amount payable, the maximum duration of benefits, whether the claimant is eligible for benefits pursuant to Section 51-1-5 NMSA 1978 and whether the claimant shall be disqualified pursuant to Section 51-1-7 NMSA 1978. With the approval of the secretary, the claims examiner may refer, without determination, claims or any specified issues involved therein that raise complex questions of fact or law to a hearing officer for the division for a fair hearing and decision in accordance with the procedure described in Subsection D of this section. The claims examiner shall promptly notify the claimant and any other interested party of the determination and the reasons therefor. Unless the claimant or interested party, within fifteen calendar days after the date of notification or mailing of the determination, files an appeal from the determination, the determination shall be the final decision of the division; provided that the claims examiner may reconsider a nonmonetary determination if additional information not previously available is provided or obtained or whenever the claims examiner finds an error in the application of law has occurred, but no redetermination shall be made more than twenty days from the date of the initial nonmonetary determination. Notice of a nonmonetary redetermination shall be given to all interested parties and shall be subject to appeal in the same manner as the original nonmonetary determination. If an appeal is pending at the time a redetermination is issued, the appeal, unless withdrawn, shall be treated as an appeal from the redetermination.

C. In the case of a claim for waiting period credit or benefits, "interested party", for purposes of determinations and adjudication proceedings and notices thereof, means:

(1) in the event of an issue concerning a separation from work for reasons other than lack of work, the claimant's most recent employer or most recent employing unit;

(2) in the event of an issue concerning a separation from work for lack of work, the employer or employing unit from whom the claimant separated for reasons other than lack of work if the claimant has not worked and earned wages in insured work or bona fide employment other than self-employment in an amount equal to or exceeding five times the claimant's weekly benefit amount; or

(3) in all other cases involving the allowance or disallowance of a claim, the secretary, the claimant and any employing unit directly involved in the facts at issue.

D. Upon appeal by any party, a hearing officer designated by the secretary shall afford the parties reasonable opportunity for a fair hearing to be held de novo, and the hearing officer shall issue findings of fact and a decision [which] that affirms, modifies or reverses the determination of the claims examiner or tax representative on the facts or the law, based upon the evidence introduced at such hearing, including the documents and statements in the claim or tax records of the division. All hearings shall be held in accordance with regulations of the secretary and decisions issued promptly in accordance with time lapse standards promulgated by the secretary of the United States department of labor. The parties shall be duly notified of the decision, together with the reasons therefor, which shall be deemed to be the final decision of the department, unless within fifteen days after the date of notification or mailing of the decision further appeal is initiated pursuant to Subsection H of this section.

E. Except with the consent of the parties, no hearing officer or members of the board of review, established in Subsection F of this section, or secretary shall sit in any administrative or adjudicatory proceeding in which:

(1) either of the parties is related to the hearing officer, member of the board of review or secretary by affinity or consanguinity within the degree of first cousin;

(2) the hearing officer, member of the board of review or secretary was counsel for either party in that action; or

(3) the hearing officer, member of the board of review or secretary has an interest [which] that would prejudice the rendering of an impartial decision.

The secretary, any member of the board of review or appeal tribunal hearing officer shall withdraw from any proceeding in which the hearing officer, member of the board of review or secretary cannot accord a fair and impartial hearing or when a reasonable person would seriously doubt whether the hearing officer, board member or secretary could be fair and impartial. Any party may request a disqualification of any appeal tribunal hearing officer or board of review member by filing an affidavit with the board of review or appeal tribunal promptly upon discovery of the alleged grounds for disqualification, stating with particularity the grounds upon which it is claimed that the person cannot be fair and impartial. The disqualification shall be mandatory if sufficient factual basis is set forth in the affidavit of disqualification. If a member of the board of review is disqualified or withdraws from any proceeding, the remaining members of the board of review may appoint an appeal tribunal hearing officer to sit on the board of review for the proceeding involved.

F. There is established within the department, for the purpose of providing higher level administrative appeal and review of determinations of a claims examiner or decisions issued by a hearing officer pursuant to Subsection B or D of this section, a "board of review" consisting of three members. Two members shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The members so appointed shall hold office at the pleasure of the governor for terms of four years. One member appointed by the governor shall be a person who, on account of previous vocation, employment or affiliation, can be classed as a representative of employers, and the other member appointed by the governor shall be a person who, on account of previous vocation, employment or affiliation, can be classed as a representative of employees. The third member shall be an employee of the department appointed by the secretary who shall serve as [chairman] chair of the board. Either member of the board of review appointed by the governor who has missed two consecutive meetings of the board may be removed from the board by the governor. Actions of the board shall be taken by majority vote. If a vacancy on the board in a position appointed by the governor occurs between sessions of the legislature, the position shall be filled by the governor until the next regular legislative session. The board shall meet at the call of the secretary. Members of the board appointed by the governor shall be paid per diem and mileage in accordance with the Per Diem and Mileage Act for necessary travel to attend regularly scheduled meetings of the board of review for the purpose of conducting the board's appellate and review duties.

G. The board of review shall hear and review all cases appealed in accordance with Subsection H of this section. The board of review may modify, affirm or reverse the decision of the hearing officer or remand any matter to the claims examiner, tax representative or hearing officer for further proceedings. Each member appointed by the governor shall be compensated at the rate of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each case reviewed up to a maximum compensation of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) in any one fiscal year.

H. Any party aggrieved by a final decision of a hearing officer may file, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the secretary, an application for appeal and review of the decision with the secretary. The secretary shall review the application and shall, within fifteen days after receipt of the application, either affirm the decision of the hearing officer, reverse the decision of the hearing officer, modify the decision of the hearing officer, remand the matter to the hearing officer, tax representative or claims examiner for an additional hearing or refer the decision to the board of review for further review and decision on the merits of the appeal. If the secretary affirms, reverses or modifies the decision of the hearing officer, that decision shall be the final administrative decision of the department and any appeal therefrom shall be taken to the district court in accordance with the provisions of Subsections M and N of this section. If the secretary remands a matter to a hearing officer, tax representative or claims examiner for an additional hearing, judicial review shall be permitted only after issuance of a final administrative decision. If the secretary refers the decision of the hearing officer to the board of review for further review, the board's decision on the merits of the appeal shall be the final administrative decision of the department, which may be appealed to the district court in accordance with the provisions of Subsections M and N of this section. If the secretary takes no action within fifteen days of receipt of the application for appeal and review, the decision shall be promptly scheduled for review by the board of review as though it had been referred by the secretary. The secretary may request the board of review to review a decision of a hearing officer that the secretary believes to be inconsistent with the law or with applicable rules of interpretation or that is not supported by the evidence, and the board of review shall grant the request if it is filed within fifteen days of the issuance of the decision of the hearing officer. The secretary may also direct that any pending determination or adjudicatory proceeding be removed to the board of review for a final decision. If the board of review holds a hearing on any matter, the hearing shall be conducted by a quorum of the board of review in accordance with regulations prescribed by the secretary for hearing appeals. The board of review shall promptly notify the interested parties of its findings of fact and decision. A decision of the board of review on any disputed matter reviewed and decided by it shall be based upon the law and the lawful rules of interpretation issued by the secretary, and it shall be the final administrative decision of the department, except in cases of remand. If the board of review remands a matter to a hearing officer, claims examiner or tax representative, judicial review shall be permitted only after issuance of a final administrative decision.

I. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section granting any party the right to appeal, benefits shall be paid promptly in accordance with a determination or a decision of a claims examiner, hearing officer, secretary, board of review or reviewing court, regardless of the pendency of the period to file an appeal or petition for judicial review that is provided with respect thereto in Subsection D or M of this section or the pendency of any such filing or petition until such determination or decision has been modified or reversed by a subsequent decision. The provisions of this subsection shall apply to all claims for benefits pending on the date of its enactment.

J. If a prior determination or decision allowing benefits is affirmed by a decision of the department, including the board of review or a reviewing court, the benefits shall be paid promptly regardless of any further appeal [which] that may thereafter be available to the parties, and no injunction, supersedeas, stay or other writ or process suspending the payment of benefits shall be issued by the secretary or board of review or any court, and no action to recover benefits paid to a claimant shall be taken. If a determination or decision allowing benefits is finally modified or reversed, the appropriate contributing [employer's account] employer will be relieved of benefit charges in accordance with Subsection [B] A of Section 51-1-11 NMSA 1978.

K. The manner in which disputed claims shall be presented, the reports thereon required from the claimant and from employers and the conduct of hearings and appeals shall be in accordance with rules prescribed by the secretary for determining the rights of the parties, whether or not the rules conform to common law or statutory rules of evidence and other technical rules of procedure. A hearing officer or the board of review may refer to the secretary for interpretation any question of controlling legal significance, and the secretary shall issue a declaratory interpretation, which shall be binding upon the decision of the hearing officer and the board of review. A full and complete record shall be kept of all proceedings in connection with a disputed claim. All testimony at any hearing upon a disputed claim shall be recorded but need not be transcribed unless the disputed claim is appealed to the district court.

L. Witnesses subpoenaed pursuant to this section shall be allowed fees at a rate fixed by the secretary. Such fees and all administrative expenses of proceedings involving disputed claims shall be deemed a part of the expense of administering the Unemployment Compensation Law.

M. Any determination or decision of a claims examiner or hearing officer or by a representative of the tax section of the department in the absence of an appeal therefrom as provided by this section shall become final fifteen days after the date of notification or mailing thereof, and judicial review thereof shall be permitted only after any party claiming to be aggrieved thereby has exhausted the remedies as provided in Subsection H of this section. The division and any employer or claimant who is affected by the decision shall be joined as a party in any judicial action involving the decision. All parties shall be served with an endorsed copy of the petition within thirty days from the date of filing and an endorsed copy of the order granting the petition within fifteen days from entry of the order. Service on the department shall be made on the secretary or [his] the secretary's designated legal representative either by mail with accompanying certification of service or by personal service. The division may be represented in a judicial action by an attorney employed by the department or, when requested by the secretary, by the attorney general or any district attorney.

N. The final decision of the secretary or board of review upon any disputed matter may be reviewed both upon the law, including the lawful rules of interpretation issued by the secretary, and the facts by the district court of the county wherein the person seeking the review resides upon certiorari, unless it is determined by the district court where the petition is filed that, as a matter of equity and due process, venue should be in a different county. For the purpose of the review, the division shall return on certiorari the reports and all of the evidence heard by it on the reports and all the papers and documents in its files affecting the matters and things involved in such certiorari. The district court shall render its judgment after hearing, and either the department or any other party affected may appeal from the judgment to the court of appeals in accordance with the rules of appellate procedure. Certiorari shall not be granted unless applied for within thirty days from the date of the final decision of the secretary or board of review. Certiorari shall be heard in a summary manner and shall be given precedence over all other civil cases except cases arising under the Workers' Compensation Act. It is not necessary in any proceedings before the division to enter exceptions to the rulings, and no bond shall be required in obtaining certiorari from the district court, but certiorari shall be granted as a matter of right to the party applying therefor."

SECTION 2. Section 51-1-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 47, Section 11, as amended) is amended to read:

"51-1-11. FUTURE RATES BASED ON BENEFIT EXPERIENCE.--

A. The division shall maintain a separate account for each contributing employer and shall credit the contributing employer's account with all contributions paid by that employer under the Unemployment Compensation Law. Nothing in the Unemployment Compensation Law shall be construed to grant an employer or individuals in the employer's service prior claims or rights to the amounts paid by the employer into the fund.

B. Benefits paid to an individual shall be charged against the accounts of the individual's base-period employers on a pro rata basis according to the proportion of the individual's total base-period wages received from each employer, except that no benefits paid to a claimant as extended benefits under the provisions of Section 51-1-48 NMSA 1978 shall be charged to the account of any base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis and who is not a governmental entity and, except as the secretary shall by rule prescribe otherwise, in the case of benefits paid to an individual who:

(1) left the employ of a base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis voluntarily without good cause in connection with the individual's employment;

(2) was discharged from the employment of a base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis for misconduct connected with the individual's employment;

(3) is employed part time by a base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis and who continues to furnish the individual the same part-time work while the individual is separated from full-time work for a nondisqualifying reason; or

(4) received benefits based upon wages earned from a base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis while attending approved training under the provisions of Subsection E of Section 51-1-5 NMSA 1978.

C. The division shall not charge a contributing or reimbursing base-period employer's account with any portion of benefit amounts that the division can bill to or recover from the federal government as either regular or extended benefits.

D. The division shall not charge a contributing base-period employer's account with any portion of benefits paid to an individual for dependent allowance or because the individual to whom benefits are paid:

(1) separated from employment due to domestic abuse, as "domestic abuse" is defined in Section 40-13-2 NMSA 1978; or

(2) voluntarily left work to relocate because of a spouse, who is in the military service of the United States or the New Mexico national guard, receiving permanent change of station orders, activation orders or unit deployment orders.

E. All contributions to the fund shall be pooled and available to pay benefits to any individual entitled thereto, irrespective of the source of the contributions.

F. For each calendar year, if, as of the computation date for that year, an employer's account has been chargeable with benefits throughout the preceding thirty-six months, the secretary shall classify the employer in accordance with its actual experience of benefits charged against its accounts. For such an employer, the contribution rate shall be determined pursuant to Subsection I of this section on the basis of the employer's record and the condition of the fund as of the computation date for the calendar year. If, as of the computation date for a calendar year, an employer's account has not been chargeable with benefits throughout the preceding thirty-six months, the contribution rate for that employer for the calendar year shall be two percent, except that:

(1) an individual, type of organization or employing unit that acquires all or part of the trade or business of another employing unit, pursuant to Paragraphs (2) and (3) of Subsection E of Section 51-1-42 NMSA 1978, that has a rate of contribution less than two percent shall be entitled to the transfer of the reduced rate to the extent permitted under Subsection H of this section;

(2) an employer that, at the time of establishing an account, is in business in another state or states and that is not currently doing business in New Mexico may elect, pursuant to Paragraph (3) of this subsection, to receive a beginning contribution rate of two percent or a contribution rate based on the current contribution rate schedule in Paragraph (4) of Subsection I of this section, whichever is lower, if:

(a) the employer has been in operation in the other state or states for at least three years immediately preceding the date of becoming a liable employer in New Mexico, throughout which an individual in the employer's employ could have received benefits if eligible; and

(b) the employer provides the authenticated account history as defined by rule of the secretary from information accumulated from operations in the other state or all the other states to compute a current

New Mexico rate; and

(3) the election authorized in Paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be made in writing within thirty days after receiving notice of New Mexico liability and, if not made timely, a two percent rate will be assigned; if the election is made timely, the employer's account will receive the lesser of the computed rate determined by the condition of the account for the computation date immediately preceding the New Mexico liable date, or two percent; rates for subsequent years will be determined by the condition of the account for the computation date.

G. An employer may make voluntary payments in addition to the contributions required under the Unemployment Compensation Law, which shall be credited to the employer's account in accordance with department rule. The voluntary payments shall be included in the employer's account as of the employer's most recent computation date if they are made on or before the following March 1. Voluntary payments when accepted from an employer shall not be refunded in whole or in part.

H. In the case of a transfer of an employing enterprise, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the experience history of the transferred enterprise shall be transferred from the predecessor employer to the successor under the following conditions and in accordance with the applicable rules of the secretary:

(1) as used in this subsection:

(a) "employing enterprise" means a business activity engaged in by a contributing employing unit in which one or more persons have been employed within the current or the three preceding calendar quarters. An "employing enterprise" includes the employer's work force;

(b) "predecessor" means the owner and operator of an employing enterprise immediately prior to the transfer of such enterprise;

(d) "experience history" means the experience rating record and reserve account, including the actual contributions, benefit charges and payroll experience of the employing enterprise;

(e) "common ownership" means that two or more businesses are substantially owned, managed or controlled by the same person or persons;

(f) "knowingly" means having actual knowledge of or acting with deliberate ignorance of or reckless disregard for the prohibition involved; and

(g) "violates or attempts to violate" includes an intent to evade, a misrepresentation or a willful nondisclosure;

(2) except as otherwise provided in this subsection, for the purpose of this subsection, two or more employers who are parties to or the subject of any transaction involving the transfer of an employing enterprise shall be deemed to be a single employer and the experience history of the employing enterprise shall be transferred to the successor employer if the successor employer has acquired by the transaction all of the business enterprises of the predecessor; provided that:

(a) all contributions, interest and penalties due from the predecessor employer have been paid;

(b) notice of the transfer has been given in accordance with the rules of the secretary during the calendar year of the transaction transferring the employing enterprise or the date of the actual transfer of control and operation of the employing enterprise;

(c) the successor shall notify the division of the acquisition on or before the due date of the successor's first wage and contribution report. If the successor employer fails to notify the division of the acquisition within this time limit, the division, when it receives actual notice, shall effect the transfer of the experience history and applicable rate of contribution retroactively to the date of the acquisition, and the successor shall pay a penalty of fifty dollars ($50.00); and

(d) where the transaction involves only a merger, consolidation or other form of reorganization without a substantial change in the ownership and controlling interest of the business entity, as determined by the secretary, the limitations on transfers stated in Subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this paragraph shall not apply. A party to a merger, consolidation or other form of reorganization described in this subparagraph shall not be relieved of liability for any contributions, interest or penalties due and owing from the employing enterprise at the time of the merger, consolidation or other form of reorganization;

(3) the applicable experience history may be transferred to the successor in the case of a partial transfer of an employing enterprise if the successor has acquired one or more of the several employing enterprises of a predecessor but not all of the employing enterprises of the predecessor and each employing enterprise so acquired was operated by the predecessor as a separate store, factory, shop or other separate employing enterprise and the predecessor, throughout the entire period of the contribution with liability applicable to each enterprise transferred, has maintained and preserved payroll records that, together with records of contribution liability and benefit chargeability, can be separated by the parties from the enterprises retained by the predecessor to the satisfaction of the secretary or the secretary's delegate. A partial experience history transfer will be made only if the successor:

(a) notifies the division of the acquisition, in writing, not later than the due date of the successor's first quarterly wage and contribution report after the effective date of the acquisition;

(b) files an application provided by the division that contains the endorsement of the predecessor within thirty days from the delivery or mailing of such application by the division to the successor's last known address; and

(c) files with the application [a Form ES-903A or its equivalent with], in a manner described by the department, a schedule of the name and social security number of and the wages paid to and the contributions paid for each employee for the three and one-half year period preceding the computation date as defined in Subparagraph (d) of Paragraph (3) of Subsection I of this section through the date of transfer or such lesser period as the enterprises transferred may have been in operation. The application and [Form ES-903A] schedule shall be supported by the predecessor's permanent employment records, which shall be available for audit by the division. The application and [Form ES-903A] schedule shall be reviewed by the division and, upon approval, the percentage of the predecessor's experience history attributable to the enterprises transferred shall be transferred to the successor. The percentage shall be obtained by dividing the taxable payrolls of the transferred enterprises for such three and one-half year period preceding the date of computation or such lesser period as the enterprises transferred may have been in operation by the predecessor's entire payroll;

(4) if, at the time of a transfer of an employing enterprise in whole or in part, both the predecessor and the successor are under common ownership, then the experience history attributable to the transferred business shall also be transferred to and combined with the experience history attributable to the successor employer. The rates of both employers shall be recalculated and made effective immediately upon the date of the transfer;

(5) whenever a person, who is not currently an employer, acquires the trade or business of an employing enterprise, the experience history of the acquired business shall not be transferred to the successor if the secretary or the secretary's designee finds that the successor acquired the business solely or primarily for the purpose of obtaining a lower rate of contributions. Instead, the successor shall be assigned the applicable new employer rate pursuant to this section. In determining whether the business was acquired solely or primarily for the purpose of obtaining a lower rate of contribution, the secretary or the secretary's designee shall consider:

(a) the cost of acquiring the business;

(b) whether the person continued the business enterprise of the acquired business;

(d) whether a substantial number of new employees were hired for performance of duties unrelated to those that the business activity conducted prior to acquisition;

(6) if, following a transfer of experience history pursuant to this subsection, the department determines that a substantial purpose of the transfer of the employing enterprise was to obtain a reduced liability for contributions, then the experience rating accounts of the employers involved shall be combined into a single account and a single rate assigned to the combined account;

(7) the secretary shall adopt such rules as are necessary to interpret and carry out the provisions of this subsection, including rules that:

(a) describe how experience history is to be transferred; and

(b) establish procedures to identify the type of transfer or acquisition of an employing enterprise; and

(8) a person who knowingly violates or attempts to violate a rule adopted pursuant to Paragraph (7) of this subsection, who transfers or acquires, or attempts to transfer or acquire, an employing enterprise for the sole or primary purpose of obtaining a reduced liability for contributions or who knowingly advises another person to violate a rule adopted pursuant to Paragraph (7) of this subsection or to transfer or acquire an employing enterprise for the sole or primary purpose of obtaining a reduced liability for contributions is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) or more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) or, if an individual, by imprisonment for a definite term not to exceed ninety days or both. In addition, such a person shall be subject to the following civil penalty imposed by the secretary:

(a) if the person is an employer, the person shall be assigned the highest contribution rate established by the provisions of this section for the calendar year in which the violation occurs and the three subsequent calendar years; provided that, if the difference between the increased penalty rate and the rate otherwise applicable would be less than two percent of the employer's payroll, the contribution rate shall be increased by two percent of the employer's payroll for the calendar year in which the violation occurs and the three subsequent calendar years; or

(b) if the person is not an employer, the secretary may impose a civil penalty not to exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000).

I. For each calendar year, if, as of the computation date for that year, an employer's account has been chargeable with benefits throughout the preceding thirty-six months, the contribution rate for that employer shall be determined as follows:

(1) the total assets in the fund and the total of the last annual payrolls of all employers subject to contributions as of the computation date for each year shall be determined. These annual totals are here called "the fund" and "total payrolls". For each year, the "reserve" of each employer shall be fixed by the excess of the employer's total contributions over total benefit charges computed as a percentage of the employer's average payroll reported for contributions. The determination of each employer's annual rate, computed as of the computation date for each calendar year, shall be made by matching the employer's reserve as shown in the reserve column with the corresponding rate in the rate column of the applicable rate schedule of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection;

(2) for each calendar year after [2013] 2014, except as otherwise provided, each employer's rate shall be the corresponding rate in:

(a) Contribution Schedule 0 of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection if the fund equals at least two and three-tenths percent of the total payrolls;

(b) Contribution Schedule 1 of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection if the fund equals less than two and three-tenths percent but not less than one and seven-tenths percent of the total payrolls;

(c) Contribution Schedule 2 of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection if the fund equals less than one and seven-tenths percent but not less than one and three-tenths percent of the total payrolls;

(d) Contribution Schedule 3 of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection if the fund equals less than one and three-tenths percent but not less than one percent of the total payrolls;

(e) Contribution Schedule 4 of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection if the fund equals less than one percent but not less than seven-tenths percent of the total payrolls;

(f) Contribution Schedule 5 of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection if the fund equals less than seven-tenths percent but not less than three-tenths percent of the total payrolls; or

(g) Contribution Schedule 6 of the table provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection if the fund equals less than three-tenths percent of the total payrolls;

(3) as used in this section:

(a) "annual payroll" means the total amount of remuneration from an employer for employment during a twelve-month period ending on a computation date, and "average payroll" means the average of the last three annual payrolls;

(b) "base-period wages" means the wages of an individual for insured work during the individual's base period on the basis of which the individual's benefit rights were determined;

(d) "computation date" for each calendar year means the close of business on June 30 of the preceding calendar year;

(4) table of employer reserves and contribution rate schedules:

Employer Contribution Contribution Contribution Contribution

Reserve Schedule 0 Schedule 1 Schedule 2 Schedule 3

10.0% and over 0.03% 0.05% 0.1% 0.6%

9.0%-9.9% 0.06% 0.1% 0.2% 0.9%

8.0%-8.9% 0.09% 0.2% 0.4% 1.2%

7.0%-7.9% 0.10% 0.4% 0.6% 1.5%

6.0%-6.9% 0.30% 0.6% 0.8% 1.8%

5.0%-5.9% 0.50% 0.8% 1.1% 2.1%

4.0%-4.9% 0.80% 1.1% 1.4% 2.4%

3.0%-3.9% 1.20% 1.4% 1.7% 2.7%

2.0%-2.9% 1.50% 1.7% 2.0% 3.0%

1.0%-1.9% 1.80% 2.0% 2.4% 3.3%

0.9%-0.0% 2.40% 2.4% 3.3% 3.6%

(-0.1%)-(-0.5%) 3.30% 3.3% 3.6% 3.9%

(-0.5%)-(-1.0%) 4.20% 4.2% 4.2% 4.2%

(-1.0%)-(-2.0%) 5.00% 5.0% 5.0% 5.0%

Under (-2.0%) 5.40% 5.4% 5.4% 5.4%

Employer Contribution Contribution Contribution

Reserve Schedule 4 Schedule 5 Schedule 6

10.0% and over 0.9% 1.2% 2.7%

9.0%-9.9% 1.2% 1.5% 2.7%

8.0%-8.9% 1.5% 1.8% 2.7%

7.0%-7.9% 1.8% 2.1% 2.7%

6.0%-6.9% 2.1% 2.4% 2.7%

5.0%-5.9% 2.4% 2.7% 3.0%

4.0%-4.9% 2.7% 3.0% 3.3%

3.0%-3.9% 3.0% 3.3% 3.6%

2.0%-2.9% 3.3% 3.6% 3.9%

1.0%-1.9% 3.6% 3.9% 4.2%

0.9%-0.0% 3.9% 4.2% 4.5%

(-0.1%)-(-0.5%) 4.2% 4.5% 4.8%

(-0.5%)-(-1.0%) 4.5% 4.8% 5.1%

(-1.0%)-(-2.0%) 5.0% 5.1% 5.3%

Under (-2.0%) 5.4% 5.4% 5.4%;

(5) from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2012, each employer making contributions pursuant to this subsection shall make a contribution at the rate specified in Contribution Schedule 1; and

(6) from January 1, 2013 through December 31, [2013] 2014, each employer making contributions pursuant to this subsection shall make a contribution at the rate specified in Contribution Schedule 2.

J. The division shall promptly notify each employer of the employer's rate of contributions as determined for any calendar year pursuant to this section. Such notification shall include the amount determined as the employer's average payroll, the total of all of the employer's contributions paid on the employer's behalf and credited to the employer's account for all past years and total benefits charged to the employer's account for all such years. Such determination shall become conclusive and binding upon the employer unless, within thirty days after the mailing of notice thereof to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within thirty days after the delivery of such notice, the employer files an application for review and redetermination, setting forth the employer's reason therefor. The employer shall be granted an opportunity for a fair hearing in accordance with rules prescribed by the secretary, but an employer shall not have standing, in any proceeding involving the employer's rate of contributions or contribution liability, to contest the chargeability to the employer's account of any benefits paid in accordance with a determination, redetermination or decision pursuant to Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978, except upon the ground that the services on the basis of which such benefits were found to be chargeable did not constitute services performed in employment for the employer and only in the event that the employer was not a party to such determination, redetermination or decision, or to any other proceedings under the Unemployment Compensation Law in which the character of such services was determined. The employer shall be promptly notified of the decision on the employer's application for redetermination, which shall become final unless, within fifteen days after the mailing of notice thereof to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within fifteen days after the delivery of such notice, further appeal is initiated pursuant to Subsection D of Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978.

K. The division shall provide each contributing employer, within ninety days of the end of each calendar quarter, a written determination of benefits chargeable to the employer's account. Such determination shall become conclusive and binding upon the employer for all purposes unless, within thirty days after the mailing of the determination to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within thirty days after the delivery of such determination, the employer files an application for review and redetermination, setting forth the employer's reason therefor. The employer shall be granted an opportunity for a fair hearing in accordance with rules prescribed by the secretary, but an employer shall not have standing in any proceeding involving the employer's contribution liability to contest the chargeability to the employer's account of any benefits paid in accordance with a determination, redetermination or decision pursuant to Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978, except upon the ground that the services on the basis of which such benefits were found to be chargeable did not constitute services performed in employment for the employer and only in the event that the employer was not a party to such determination, redetermination or decision, or to any other proceedings under the Unemployment Compensation Law in which the character of such services was determined. The employer shall be promptly notified of the decision on the employer's application for redetermination, which shall become final unless, within fifteen days after the mailing of notice thereof to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within fifteen days after the delivery of such notice, further appeal is initiated pursuant to Subsection D of Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978.

L. The contributions, together with interest and penalties thereon imposed by the Unemployment Compensation Law, shall not be assessed nor shall action to collect the same be commenced more than four years after a report showing the amount of the contributions was due. In the case of a false or fraudulent contribution report with intent to evade contributions or a willful failure to file a report of all contributions due, the contributions, together with interest and penalties thereon, may be assessed or an action to collect such contributions may be begun at any time. Before the expiration of such period of limitation, the employer and the secretary may agree in writing to an extension thereof and the period so agreed on may be extended by subsequent agreements in writing. In any case where the assessment has been made and action to collect has been commenced within four years of the due date of any contribution, interest or penalty, including the filing of a warrant of lien by the secretary pursuant to Section 51-1-36 NMSA 1978, such action shall not be subject to any period of limitation.

M. The secretary shall correct any error in the determination of an employer's rate of contribution during the calendar year to which the erroneous rate applies, notwithstanding that notification of the employer's rate of contribution may have been issued and contributions paid pursuant to the notification. Upon issuance by the division of a corrected rate of contribution, the employer shall have the same rights to review and redetermination as provided in Subsection J of this section.

N. Any interest required to be paid on advances to this state's unemployment compensation fund under Title 12 of the Social Security Act shall be paid in a timely manner as required under Section 1202 of Title 12 of the Social Security Act and shall not be paid, directly or indirectly, by the state from amounts in the state's unemployment compensation fund."

SECTION 3. Section 51-1-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 47, Section 11, as amended by Section 2 of this act) is repealed and a new Section 51-1-11 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

"51-1-11. [NEW MATERIAL] EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION RATES--BENEFITS CHARGEABLE--UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION FUND ADEQUATE RESERVE--RESERVE FACTOR--EXCESS CLAIMS PREMIUM--DEFINITIONS.--

A. Benefits paid to an individual shall be charged to the individual's base-period employers on a pro rata basis according to the proportion of the individual's total base-period wages received from each employer, except that no benefits paid to a claimant as extended benefits under the provisions of Section 51-1-48 NMSA 1978 shall be charged to any base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis and who is not a governmental entity and, except as the secretary shall by rule prescribe otherwise, in the case of benefits paid to an individual who:

(1) left the employ of a base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis voluntarily without good cause in connection with the individual's employment;

(2) was discharged from the employment of a base-period employer who is not on a reimbursable basis for misconduct connected with the individual's employment;

B. The division shall not charge a contributing or reimbursing base-period employer with any portion of benefit amounts that the division can bill to or recover from the federal government as either regular or extended benefits.

C. The division shall not charge a contributing base-period employer with any portion of benefits paid to an individual for dependent allowance or because the individual to whom benefits are paid:

(1) separated from employment due to domestic abuse, as "domestic abuse" is defined in Section 40-13-2 NMSA 1978; or

D. All contributions to the fund shall be pooled and available to pay benefits to any individual entitled thereto, irrespective of the source of the contributions.

E. In the case of a transfer of an employing enterprise, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the experience history of the transferred enterprise shall be transferred from the predecessor employer to the successor under the following conditions and in accordance with the applicable rules of the secretary:

(1) except as otherwise provided in this subsection, for the purpose of this subsection, two or more employers who are parties to or the subject of any transaction involving the transfer of an employing enterprise shall be deemed to be a single employer and the experience history of the employing enterprise shall be transferred to the successor employer if the successor employer has acquired by the transaction all of the business enterprises of the predecessor; provided that:

(a) all contributions, interest and penalties due from the predecessor employer have been paid;

(2) the applicable experience history may be transferred to the successor in the case of a partial transfer of an employing enterprise if the successor has acquired one or more of the several employing enterprises of a predecessor but not all of the employing enterprises of the predecessor and each employing enterprise so acquired was operated by the predecessor as a separate store, factory, shop or other separate employing enterprise and the predecessor, throughout the entire period of the contribution with liability applicable to each enterprise transferred, has maintained and preserved payroll records that, together with records of contribution liability and benefit chargeability, can be separated by the parties from the enterprises retained by the predecessor to the satisfaction of the secretary or the secretary's delegate. A partial experience history transfer will be made only if the successor:

(a) notifies the division of the acquisition, in writing, not later than the due date of the successor's first quarterly wage and contribution report after the effective date of the acquisition;

(c) files with the application a form with a schedule of the name and social security number of and the wages paid to and the contributions paid for each employee for the three and one-half year period preceding the computation date through the date of transfer or such lesser period as the enterprises transferred may have been in operation. The application and form shall be supported by the predecessor's permanent employment records, which shall be available for audit by the division. The application and form shall be reviewed by the division and, upon approval, the percentage of the predecessor's experience history attributable to the enterprises transferred shall be transferred to the successor. The percentage shall be obtained by dividing the taxable payrolls of the transferred enterprises for such three and one-half year period preceding the date of computation or such lesser period as the enterprises transferred may have been in operation by the predecessor's entire payroll;

(3) if, at the time of a transfer of an employing enterprise in whole or in part, both the predecessor and the successor are under common ownership, then the experience history attributable to the transferred business shall also be transferred to and combined with the experience history attributable to the successor employer. The rates of both employers shall be recalculated and made effective immediately upon the date of the transfer;

(4) whenever a person, who is not currently an employer, acquires the trade or business of an employing enterprise, the experience history of the acquired business shall not be transferred to the successor if the secretary or the secretary's designee finds that the successor acquired the business solely or primarily for the purpose of obtaining a lower rate of contributions. Instead, the successor shall be assigned the applicable new employer rate pursuant to this section. In determining whether the business was acquired solely or primarily for the purpose of obtaining a lower rate of contribution, the secretary or the secretary's designee shall consider:

(a) the cost of acquiring the business;

(b) whether the person continued the business enterprise of the acquired business;

(d) whether a substantial number of new employees were hired for performance of duties unrelated to those that the business activity conducted prior to acquisition;

(5) if, following a transfer of experience history pursuant to this subsection, the department determines that a substantial purpose of the transfer of the employing enterprise was to obtain a reduced liability for contributions, then the experience rating accounts of the employers involved shall be combined into a single account and a single rate assigned to the combined account;

(6) the secretary shall adopt such rules as are necessary to interpret and carry out the provisions of this subsection, including rules that:

(a) describe how experience history is to be transferred; and

(b) establish procedures to identify the type of transfer or acquisition of an employing enterprise; and

(7) a person who knowingly violates or attempts to violate a rule adopted pursuant to Paragraph (6) of this subsection, who transfers or acquires, or attempts to transfer or acquire, an employing enterprise for the sole or primary purpose of obtaining a reduced liability for contributions or who knowingly advises another person to violate a rule adopted pursuant to Paragraph (6) of this subsection or to transfer or acquire an employing enterprise for the sole or primary purpose of obtaining a reduced liability for contributions is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) or more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) or, if an individual, by imprisonment for a definite term not to exceed ninety days or both. In addition, such a person shall be subject to the following civil penalty imposed by the secretary:

(b) if the person is not an employer, the secretary may impose a civil penalty not to exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000).

F. For each calendar year, if, as of the computation date for that year, an employer has been a contributing employer throughout the preceding twenty-four months, the contribution rate for that employer shall be determined by multiplying the employer's benefit ratio by the reserve factor as determined pursuant to Subsection H of this section; provided that an employer's contribution rate shall not be less than thirty-three hundredths percent or more than five and four-tenths percent. An employer's benefit ratio is determined by dividing the employer's benefit charges during the immediately preceding fiscal years, up to a maximum of three fiscal years, by the total of the annual payrolls of the same time period, calculated to four decimal places, disregarding any remaining fraction.

G. For each calendar year, if, as of the computation date of that year, an employer has been a contributing employer for less than twenty-four months, the contribution rate for that employer shall be the average of the contribution rates for all contributing employers in the employer's industry, as determined by administrative rule, but shall not be less than one percent or more than five and four-tenths percent; provided that an individual, type of organization or employing unit that acquires all or part of the trade or business of another employing unit, pursuant to Paragraphs (2) and (3) of Subsection E of Section 51-1-42 NMSA 1978, that has a rate of contribution less than average of the contribution rates for all contributing employers in the employer's industry, shall be entitled to the transfer of the contribution rate of the other employing unit to the extent permitted under Subsection E of this section.

H. The division shall ensure that the fund sustains an adequate reserve. An adequate reserve shall be determined to mean that the funds in the fund available for benefits equal the total amount of funds needed to pay between eighteen and twenty-four months of benefits at the average of the five highest years of benefits paid in the last twenty-five years. For the purpose of sustaining an adequate reserve, the division shall determine a reserve factor to be used when calculating an employer's contribution rate pursuant to Subsection F of this section by rule promulgated by the secretary. The rules shall set forth a formula that will set the reserve factor in proportion to the difference between the amount of funds available for benefits in the fund, as of the computation date, and the adequate reserve, within the following guidelines:

(1) 1.0000 if, as of the computation date, there is an adequate reserve;

(2) between 0.5000 and 0.9999 if, as of the computation date, there is greater than an adequate reserve; and

(3) between 1.0001 and 4.0000 if, as of the computation date, there is less than an adequate reserve.

I. If an employer's contribution rate pursuant to Subsection F of this section is calculated to be greater than five and four-tenths percent, notwithstanding the limitation pursuant to Subsection F of this section, the employer shall be charged an excess claims premium in addition to the contribution rate applicable to the employer; provided that an employer's excess claims premium shall not exceed one percent of the employer's annual payroll. The excess claims premium shall be determined by multiplying the employer's excess claims rate by the employer's annual payroll. An employer's excess claims rate shall be determined by multiplying the difference of the employer's contribution rate, notwithstanding the limitation pursuant to Subsection F of this section, less five and four-tenths percent by ten percent.

J. The division shall promptly notify each employer of the employer's rate of contributions and excess claims premium as determined for any calendar year pursuant to this section. Such notification shall include the amount determined as the employer's annual payroll, the total of all of the employer's contributions paid on the employer's behalf for all past years and total benefits charged to the employer for all such years. Such determination shall become conclusive and binding upon the employer unless, within thirty days after the mailing of notice thereof to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within thirty days after the delivery of such notice, the employer files an application for review and redetermination, setting forth the employer's reason therefor. The employer shall be granted an opportunity for a fair hearing in accordance with rules prescribed by the secretary, but an employer shall not have standing, in any proceeding involving the employer's rate of contributions or contribution liability, to contest the chargeability to the employer of any benefits paid in accordance with a determination, redetermination or decision pursuant to Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978, except upon the ground that the services on the basis of which such benefits were found to be chargeable did not constitute services performed in employment for the employer and only in the event that the employer was not a party to such determination, redetermination or decision, or to any other proceedings under the Unemployment Compensation Law in which the character of such services was determined. The employer shall be promptly notified of the decision on the employer's application for redetermination, which shall become final unless, within fifteen days after the mailing of notice thereof to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within fifteen days after the delivery of such notice, further appeal is initiated pursuant to Subsection D of Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978.

K. The division shall provide each contributing employer, within ninety days of the end of each calendar quarter, a written determination of benefits chargeable to the employer. Such determination shall become conclusive and binding upon the employer for all purposes unless, within thirty days after the mailing of the determination to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within thirty days after the delivery of such determination, the employer files an application for review and redetermination, setting forth the employer's reason therefor. The employer shall be granted an opportunity for a fair hearing in accordance with rules prescribed by the secretary, but an employer shall not have standing in any proceeding involving the employer's contribution liability to contest the chargeability to the employer of any benefits paid in accordance with a determination, redetermination or decision pursuant to Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978, except upon the ground that the services on the basis of which such benefits were found to be chargeable did not constitute services performed in employment for the employer and only in the event that the employer was not a party to such determination, redetermination or decision, or to any other proceedings under the Unemployment Compensation Law in which the character of such services was determined. The employer shall be promptly notified of the decision on the employer's application for redetermination, which shall become final unless, within fifteen days after the mailing of notice thereof to the employer's last known address or in the absence of mailing, within fifteen days after the delivery of such notice, further appeal is initiated pursuant to Subsection D of Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978.

L. The contributions and excess claims premiums, together with interest and penalties thereon imposed by the Unemployment Compensation Law, shall not be assessed nor shall action to collect the same be commenced more than four years after a report showing the amount of the contributions was due. In the case of a false or fraudulent contribution report with intent to evade contributions or a willful failure to file a report of all contributions due, the contributions and excess claims premiums, together with interest and penalties thereon, may be assessed or an action to collect such contributions may be begun at any time. Before the expiration of such period of limitation, the employer and the secretary may agree in writing to an extension thereof and the period so agreed on may be extended by subsequent agreements in writing. In any case where the assessment has been made and action to collect has been commenced within four years of the due date of any contribution, excess claims premium, interest or penalty, including the filing of a warrant of lien by the secretary pursuant to Section 51-1-36 NMSA 1978, such action shall not be subject to any period of limitation.

O. As used in this section:

(1) "annual payroll" means the total taxable amount of remuneration from an employer for employment during a twelve-month period ending on a computation date;

(2) "base-period employers" means the employers of an individual during the individual's base period;

(3) "base-period wages" means the wages of an individual for insured work during the individual's base period on the basis of which the individual's benefit rights were determined;

(4) "common ownership" means that two or more businesses are substantially owned, managed or controlled by the same person or persons;

(5) "computation date" for each calendar year means the close of business on June 30 of the preceding calendar year;

(6) "employing enterprise" means a business activity engaged in by a contributing employing unit in which one or more persons have been employed within the current or the three preceding calendar quarters. An "employing enterprise" includes the employer's work force;

(7) "experience history" means the benefit charges and payroll experience of the employing enterprise;

(8) "knowingly" means having actual knowledge of or acting with deliberate ignorance of or reckless disregard for the prohibition involved;

(9) "predecessor" means the owner and operator of an employing enterprise immediately prior to the transfer of such enterprise;

(10) "successor" means any person that acquires an employing enterprise and continues to operate such business entity; and

(11) "violates or attempts to violate" includes an intent to evade, a misrepresentation or a willful nondisclosure."

SECTION 4. Section 51-1-13 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1971, Chapter 209, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

"51-1-13. FINANCING BENEFITS PAID TO EMPLOYEES OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.--Benefits paid to employees of nonprofit organizations shall be financed in accordance with the provisions of this section. For the purpose of this section, a "nonprofit organization" is an organization or group of organizations described in Paragraph (8) of Subsection F of Section 51-1-42 NMSA 1978.

A. Any nonprofit organization [which] that, pursuant to Paragraph (8) of Subsection F of Section 51-1-42 NMSA 1978, is subject to the Unemployment Compensation Law shall pay contributions [under] in accordance with the provisions of Section 51-1-9 NMSA 1978, unless it elects, in accordance with this subsection, to pay to the division for the fund an amount equal to the amount of regular benefits and of one-half of the extended benefits paid, that is attributable to service in the employ of such nonprofit organization, to individuals for weeks of unemployment that begin during the effective period of such election.

(1) Any nonprofit organization that becomes subject to the Unemployment Compensation Law after January 1, 1972 may elect to become liable for payments in lieu of contributions for a period of not less than two taxable years by filing a written notice of its election with the division not later than thirty days immediately following the date subjectivity is determined.

(2) Any nonprofit organization [which] that makes an election in accordance with Paragraph (1) of this subsection will continue to be liable for payments in lieu of contributions until it files with the division a written notice terminating its election not later than thirty days prior to the beginning of the taxable year for which such termination shall first be effective.

(3) Any nonprofit organization that has been paying contributions under the Unemployment Compensation Law may change to a reimbursable basis by filing with the division written notice of its election not later than thirty days prior to the beginning of the taxable year for which its election shall first be effective. Such election shall not be terminated by the organization for the following two taxable years.

(4) The division, in accordance with such regulations as the secretary may prescribe, shall notify each nonprofit organization of any determination [which] that it may make of the organization's status as an employer and of the effective date of any election [which] that the organization makes and of any termination of such election. Such determination shall be subject to reconsideration, appeal and review in accordance with regulations of the secretary governing appeals by employers of their liability under Section 51-1-9 NMSA 1978.

B. Payments in lieu of contributions shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

(1) At the end of each calendar quarter or at the end of any other period as determined by the secretary, the division shall bill each nonprofit organization or group of such organizations [which] that has elected to make payments in lieu of contributions for an amount equal to the full amount of regular benefits plus one-half of the amount of extended benefits paid during such quarter or other prescribed period that is attributable to service in the employ of such organization.

(2) Effective with the calendar quarter beginning January 1, 1987 and each succeeding calendar quarter, each employer that is liable for payments in lieu of contributions, including governmental entities, shall pay to the division an amount equal to twenty-five percent of the total benefit charges made to each such employer during the four calendar quarters ending the preceding June 30. Such payments shall be made on or before the tenth day of the first month of each calendar quarter.

(3) In the event that any employer liable for making payments in lieu of contributions incurred no benefit charges during the four calendar quarters ending the preceding June 30, the employer shall pay to the division, each calendar quarter, an amount equal to one-eighth of one percent of the employer's annual taxable wages paid for such period for employment as defined in Subsection F of Section 51-1-42 NMSA 1978 and [in] Section 51-1-44 NMSA 1978 as estimated by the secretary. Such payments shall be paid on or before the tenth day of the first month of the calendar quarter.

(4) For each calendar quarter, the secretary shall determine the amount paid by each employer subject to payment in lieu of contributions and the amount of benefits charged to such [employer's account] employer. Each employer who has made payments in an amount less than the amount of benefits charged to the [employer's account] employer shall pay the balance of the amount charged within twenty-five days of the notification by the division. If the quarterly payment made by an employer pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this subsection exceeds the amount of benefits charged to such [employer's account] employer, the excess payment shall be refunded on a quarterly basis.

(5) Payments made by any nonprofit organization under the provisions of this subsection shall not be deducted or deductible, in whole or in part, from the remuneration of individuals in the employ of the organization.

C. Collection of past due payments of amounts in lieu of contributions shall be as provided in this subsection.

(1) Past due payments of amounts in lieu of contributions are subject to the same penalties that are applied to past due contributions [under] pursuant to Section 51-1-12 NMSA 1978.

(2) The provisions of Section 51-1-36 NMSA 1978 shall apply to all contributions or payments of amounts in lieu of contributions for which a nonprofit organization becomes liable pursuant to an election made [under] pursuant to Subsection A of this section.

(3) Any nonprofit organization that elects to become liable for payments in lieu of contributions shall be required, within thirty days after the effective date of its election, to execute and file with the secretary a surety bond or such other surety undertaking or security, which may consist of a cash security deposit, in a form approved by the secretary. With the consent of the secretary, a cash security deposit may be made in three annual installments. This paragraph shall not apply to:

(a) group accounts established pursuant to Subsection E of this section or any member of such a group account; [and] or

(b) governmental entities as defined in Subsection B of Section 51-1-44 NMSA 1978; except that all instrumentalities of governmental entities shall be included as part of the controlling governmental entity or entities for purposes of determining liability for the payment of unemployment compensation contributions.

(4) The amount of the surety bond or other surety undertaking or security required by Paragraph [(4)] (3) of this subsection shall be equal to 2.7 percent of contribution times the organization's taxable wages paid for employment, as defined in Subsection F of Section 51-1-42 NMSA 1978 and Section 51-1-44 NMSA 1978, for the four calendar quarters immediately preceding the effective date of the election. If the nonprofit organization did not pay wages in each of the preceding four calendar quarters, the amount of surety bond required shall be determined by the secretary based upon an estimate of taxable wages to be paid during the succeeding four calendar quarters. Thereafter, the amount of the surety bond shall be adjusted on the basis of the organization's actual taxable payroll.

(5) If any nonprofit organization that is not required to execute and file a surety bond or other security is delinquent in making payments in lieu of contributions as required [under] pursuant to Subsection B of this section or if any nonprofit organization that is required to execute and maintain a surety bond or other security fails to do so or is delinquent in making payments as required [under] pursuant to Subsection B of this section, the secretary may terminate the organization's election to make payments in lieu of contributions effective as of the beginning of the next taxable year and the termination shall be effective until the organization executes and files with the department a surety bond or other security as required.

(6) Any bond or other surety undertaking or security required under this subsection shall be in force for a period of not less than two taxable years and shall be renewed with the approval of the secretary at such times as the secretary may prescribe.

D. Each employer who is liable for payments in lieu of contributions shall pay to the division for the fund the amount of regular benefits plus the amount of one-half of extended benefits paid that are attributable to service in the employ of that employer in accordance with the provisions of Subsection [B] A of Section 51-1-11 NMSA 1978, except that any employer that is liable for payments in lieu of contributions shall not be relieved of charges for benefits paid to an individual who was separated from the employ of that employer for any reason.

E. Two or more employers who have become liable for payments in lieu of contributions, in accordance with the provisions of Subsection A of this section, Subsection B of Section 51-1-14 NMSA 1978 and Section 51-1-16 NMSA 1978, may file a joint application for the establishment of a group account for the purpose of sharing the cost of benefits paid that are attributable to service in the employ of such employers. Each application shall identify and authorize a group representative to act as the group's agent for the purpose of this subsection. Upon its approval of the application, the division shall establish a group account for the employers effective as of the beginning of the calendar quarter in which it receives the application and shall notify the group's representative of the effective date of the account. The account shall remain in effect for not less than two years and thereafter until terminated at the discretion of the secretary or upon application by the group. Each group account shall be liable for the prepayment of payments in lieu of contributions as provided in Paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) of Subsection B of this section. Each member of the group account shall be liable to the division for payments in lieu of contributions with respect to each calendar quarter in the amount that bears the same ratio to the total benefits paid in the quarter that are attributable to service performed in the employ of all members of the group, as the total wages paid for service in employment for such member during the quarter bear to the total wages paid during the quarter for service performed in the employ of all members of the group. The secretary shall prescribe regulations as [he] the secretary deems necessary with respect to applications for establishment, maintenance and termination of group accounts that are authorized by this subsection, for addition of new members to and withdrawal of active members from the accounts and for the determination of the amounts that are payable under this subsection by members of the group and the time and manner of payments.

F. Each group account may apportion liability for amounts due to the group representative as the group shall determine."

SECTION 5. Section 51-1-42 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 47, Section 12, as amended) is amended to read:

"51-1-42. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Unemployment Compensation Law:

A. "base period" means the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an individual's benefit year, except that "base period" means for benefit years beginning on or after January 1, 2005 for an individual who does not have sufficient wages in the base period as defined to qualify for benefits pursuant to Section 51-1-5 NMSA 1978, the individual's base period shall be the last four completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of the individual's benefit year if that period qualifies the individual for benefits pursuant to Section 51-1-5 NMSA 1978; provided that:

(1) wages that fall within the base period of claims established pursuant to this subsection are not available for reuse in qualifying for a subsequent benefit year; and

(2) in the case of a combined-wage claim pursuant to the arrangement approved by the federal secretary of labor, the base period is that base period applicable under the unemployment compensation law of the paying state;

B. "benefits" means the cash unemployment compensation payments payable to an eligible individual pursuant to Section 51-1-4 NMSA 1978 with respect to the individual's weeks of unemployment;

C. "contributions" means the money payments required by Section 51-1-9 NMSA 1978 to be made into the fund by an employer on account of having individuals performing services for the employer;

D. "employing unit" means any individual or type of organization, including any partnership, association, cooperative, trust, estate, joint-stock company, agricultural enterprise, insurance company or corporation, whether domestic or foreign, or the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, trustee or successor thereof, household, fraternity or club, the legal representative of a deceased person or any state or local government entity to the extent required by law to be covered as an employer, that has in its employ one or more individuals performing services for it within this state. An individual performing services for an employing unit that maintains two or more separate establishments within this state shall be deemed to be employed by a single employing unit for all the purposes of the Unemployment Compensation Law. An individual performing services for a contractor, subcontractor or agent that is performing work or services for an employing unit, as described in this subsection, that are within the scope of the employing unit's usual trade, occupation, profession or business, shall be deemed to be in the employ of the employing unit for all purposes of the Unemployment Compensation Law unless the contractor, subcontractor or agent is itself an employer within the provisions of Subsection E of this section;

E. "employer" includes:

(1) an employing unit that:

(a) unless otherwise provided in this section, paid for service in employment as defined in Subsection F of this section wages of four hundred fifty dollars ($450) or more in any calendar quarter in either the current or preceding calendar year or had in employment, as defined in Subsection F of this section, for some portion of a day in each of twenty different calendar weeks during either the current or the preceding calendar year, and irrespective of whether the same individual was in employment in each such day, at least one individual;

(b) for the purposes of Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph, if any week includes both December 31 and January 1, the days of that week up to January 1 shall be deemed one calendar week and the days beginning January 1, another such week; and

(c) for purposes of defining an "employer" under Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph, the wages or remuneration paid to individuals performing services in employment in agricultural labor or domestic services as provided in Paragraphs (6) and (7) of Subsection F of this section shall not be taken into account; except that any employing unit determined to be an employer of agricultural labor under Paragraph (6) of Subsection F of this section shall be an employer under Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph so long as the employing unit is paying wages or remuneration for services other than agricultural services;

(2) any individual or type of organization that acquired the trade or business or substantially all of the assets thereof, of an employing unit that at the time of the acquisition was an employer subject to the Unemployment Compensation Law; provided that where such an acquisition takes place, the secretary may postpone activating the [separate account] individual or type of organization pursuant to [Subsection A of] Section 51-1-11 NMSA 1978 until such time as the successor employer has employment as defined in Subsection F of this section;

(3) an employing unit that acquired all or part of the organization, trade, business or assets of another employing unit and that, if treated as a single unit with the other employing unit or part thereof, would be an employer under Paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(4) an employing unit not an employer by reason of any other paragraph of this subsection:

(a) for which, within either the current or preceding calendar year, service is or was performed with respect to which such employing unit is liable for any federal tax against which credit may be taken for contributions required to be paid into a state unemployment fund; or

(b) that, as a condition for approval of the Unemployment Compensation Law for full tax credit against the tax imposed by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, is required, pursuant to that act, to be an "employer" under the Unemployment Compensation Law;

(5) an employing unit that, having become an employer under Paragraph (1), (2), (3) or (4) of this subsection, has not, under Section 51-1-18 NMSA 1978, ceased to be an employer subject to the Unemployment Compensation Law;

(6) for the effective period of its election pursuant to Section 51-1-18 NMSA 1978, any other employing unit that has elected to become fully subject to the Unemployment Compensation Law;

(7) an employing unit for which any services performed in its employ are deemed to be performed in this state pursuant to an election under an arrangement entered into in accordance with Subsection A of Section 51-1-50 NMSA 1978; and

(8) an Indian tribe as defined in 26 USCA Section 3306(u) for which service in employment is performed;

F. "employment":

(1) means any service, including service in interstate commerce, performed for wages or under any contract of hire, written or oral, express or implied;

(2) means an individual's entire service, performed within or both within and without this state if:

(a) the service is primarily localized in this state with services performed outside the state being only incidental thereto; or

(b) the service is not localized in any state but some of the service is performed in this state and: 1) the base of operations or, if there is no base of operations, the place from which such service is directed or controlled, is in this state; or 2) the base of operations or place from which such service is directed or controlled is not in any state in which some part of the service is performed but the individual's residence is in this state;

(3) means services performed within this state but not covered under Paragraph (2) of this subsection if contributions or payments in lieu of contributions are not required and paid with respect to such services under an unemployment compensation law of any other state, the federal government or Canada;

(4) means services covered by an election pursuant to Section 51-1-18 NMSA 1978 and services covered by an election duly approved by the secretary in accordance with an arrangement pursuant to Paragraph (1) of Subsection A of Section 51-1-50 NMSA 1978 shall be deemed to be employment during the effective period of the election;

(5) means services performed by an individual for an employer for wages or other remuneration unless and until it is established by a preponderance of evidence that:

(a) the individual has been and will continue to be free from control or direction over the performance of the services both under the individual's contract of service and in fact;

(b) the service is either outside the usual course of business for which the service is performed or that such service is performed outside of all the places of business of the enterprise for which such service is performed; and

(c) the individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business of the same nature as that involved in the contract of service;

(6) means service performed after December 31, 1977 by an individual in agricultural labor as defined in Subsection Q of this section if:

(a) the service is performed for an employing unit that: 1) paid remuneration in cash of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more to individuals in that employment during any calendar quarter in either the current or the preceding calendar year; or 2) employed in agricultural labor ten or more individuals for some portion of a day in each of twenty different calendar weeks in either the current or preceding calendar year, whether or not the weeks were consecutive, and regardless of whether the individuals were employed at the same time;

(b) the service is not performed before January 1, 1980 by an individual who is an alien admitted to the United States to perform service in agricultural labor pursuant to Sections 214(c) and 101(15)(H) of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act; and

(c) for purposes of this paragraph, an individual who is a member of a crew furnished by a crew leader to perform service in agricultural labor for a farm operator or other person shall be treated as an employee of the crew leader: 1) if the crew leader meets the requirements of a crew leader as defined in Subsection L of this section; or 2) substantially all the members of the crew operate or maintain mechanized agricultural equipment that is provided by the crew leader; and 3) the individuals performing the services are not, by written agreement or in fact, within the meaning of Paragraph (5) of this subsection, performing services in employment for the farm operator or other person;

(7) means service performed after December 31, 1977 by an individual in domestic service in a private home, local college club or local chapter of a college fraternity or sorority for a person or organization that paid cash remuneration of one thousand dollars ($1,000) in any calendar quarter in the current or preceding calendar year to individuals performing such services;

(8) means service performed after December 31, 1971 by an individual in the employ of a religious, charitable, educational or other organization but only if the following conditions are met:

(a) the service is excluded from "employment" as defined in the Federal Unemployment Tax Act solely by reason of Section 3306(c)(8) of that act; and

(b) the organization meets the requirements of "employer" as provided in Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (1) of Subsection E of this section;

(9) means service of an individual who is a citizen of the United States, performed outside the United States, except in Canada, after December 31, 1971 in the employ of an American employer, other than service that is deemed "employment" under the provisions of Paragraph (2) of this subsection or the parallel provisions of another state's law, if:

(a) the employer's principal place of business in the United States is located in this state;

(b) the employer has no place of business in the United States, but: 1) the employer is an individual who is a resident of this state; 2) the employer is a corporation organized under the laws of this state; or 3) the employer is a partnership or a trust and the number of the partners or trustees who are residents of this state is greater than the number who are residents of any one other state; or

(c) none of the criteria of Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this paragraph are met, but the employer has elected coverage in this state or, the employer having failed to elect coverage in any state, the individual has filed a claim for benefits, based on such service, under the law of this state.

"American employer" for the purposes of this paragraph means a person who is: 1) an individual who is a resident of the United States; 2) a partnership if two-thirds or more of the partners are residents of the United States; 3) a trust if all of the trustees are residents of the United States; or 4) a corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of any state. For the purposes of this paragraph, "United States" includes the United States, the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands;

(10) means, notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection, service with respect to which a tax is required to be paid under any federal law imposing a tax against which credit may be taken for contributions required to be paid into a state unemployment fund or which as a condition for full tax credit against the tax imposed by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act is required to be covered under the Unemployment Compensation Law;

(11) means service performed in the employ of an Indian tribe if:

(a) the service is excluded from "employment" as defined in 26 USCA Section 3306(c) solely by reason of 26 USCA Section 3306(c)(7); and

(b) the service is not otherwise excluded from employment pursuant to the Unemployment Compensation Law;

(12) does not include:

(a) service performed in the employ of: 1) a church or convention or association of churches; or 2) an organization that is operated primarily for religious purposes and that is operated, supervised, controlled or principally supported by a church or convention or association of churches;

(b) service performed by a duly ordained, commissioned or licensed minister of a church in the exercise of such ministry or by a member of a religious order in the exercise of duties required by such order;

(c) service performed by an individual in the employ of the individual's son, daughter or spouse, and service performed by a child under the age of majority in the employ of the child's father or mother;

(d) service performed in the employ of the United States government or an instrumentality of the United States immune under the constitution of the United States from the contributions imposed by the Unemployment Compensation Law except that to the extent that the congress of the United States shall permit states to require any instrumentalities of the United States to make payments into an unemployment fund under a state unemployment compensation act, all of the provisions of the Unemployment Compensation Law shall be applicable to such instrumentalities, and to service performed for such instrumentalities in the same manner, to the same extent and on the same terms as to all other employers, employing units, individuals and services; provided that if this state shall not be certified for any year by the secretary of labor of the United States under Section 3304 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. Section 3304, the payments required of such instrumentalities with respect to such year shall be refunded by the department from the fund in the same manner and within the same period as is provided in Subsection D of Section 51-1-36 NMSA 1978 with respect to contributions erroneously collected;

(e) service performed in a facility conducted for the purpose of carrying out a program of rehabilitation for individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by age or physical or mental deficiency or injury or providing remunerative work for individuals who because of their impaired physical or mental capacity cannot be readily absorbed in the competitive labor market, by an individual receiving that rehabilitation or remunerative work;

(f) service with respect to which unemployment compensation is payable under an unemployment compensation system established by an act of congress;

(g) service performed in the employ of a foreign government, including service as a consular or other officer or employee or a nondiplomatic representative;

(h) service performed by an individual for a person as an insurance agent or as an insurance solicitor, if all such service performed by the individual for the person is performed for remuneration solely by way of commission;

(i) service performed by an individual under the age of eighteen in the delivery or distribution of newspapers or shopping news, not including delivery or distribution to any point for subsequent delivery or distribution;

(j) service covered by an election duly approved by the agency charged with the administration of any other state or federal unemployment compensation law, in accordance with an arrangement pursuant to Paragraph (1) of Subsection A of Section 51-1-50 NMSA 1978 during the effective period of the election;

(k) service performed, as part of an unemployment work-relief or work-training program assisted or financed in whole or part by any federal agency or an agency of a state or political subdivision thereof, by an individual receiving the work relief or work training;

(l) service performed by an individual who is enrolled at a nonprofit or public educational institution that normally maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regularly organized body of students in attendance at the place where its educational activities are carried on as a student in a full-time program, taken for credit at the institution that combines academic instruction with work experience, if the service is an integral part of such program and the institution has so certified to the employer, except that this subparagraph shall not apply to service performed in a program established for or on behalf of an employer or group of employers;

(m) service performed in the employ of a hospital, if the service is performed by a patient of the hospital, or services performed by an inmate of a custodial or penal institution for any employer;

(n) service performed by real estate salespersons for others when the services are performed for remuneration solely by way of commission;

(o) service performed in the employ of a school, college or university if the service is performed by a student who is enrolled and is regularly attending classes at the school, college or university;

(p) service performed by an individual for a fixed or contract fee officiating at a sporting event that is conducted by or under the auspices of a nonprofit or governmental entity if that person is not otherwise an employee of the entity conducting the sporting event;

(q) service performed for a private, for-profit person or entity by an individual as a product demonstrator or product merchandiser if the service is performed pursuant to a written contract between that individual and a person or entity whose principal business is obtaining the services of product demonstrators and product merchandisers for third parties, for demonstration and merchandising purposes and the individual: 1) is compensated for each job or the compensation is based on factors related to the work performed; 2) provides the equipment used to perform the service, unless special equipment is required and provided by the manufacturer through an agency; 3) is responsible for completion of a specific job and for any failure to complete the job; 4) pays all expenses, and the opportunity for profit or loss rests solely with the individual; and 5) is responsible for operating costs, fuel, repairs and motor vehicle insurance. For the purpose of this subparagraph, "product demonstrator" means an individual who, on a temporary, part-time basis, demonstrates or gives away samples of a food or other product as part of an advertising or sales promotion for the product and who is not otherwise employed directly by the manufacturer, distributor or retailer, and "product merchandiser" means an individual who, on a temporary, part-time basis builds or resets a product display and who is not otherwise directly employed by the manufacturer, distributor or retailer; or

(r) service performed for a private, for-profit person or entity by an individual as a landman if substantially all remuneration paid in cash or otherwise for the performance of the services is directly related to the completion by the individual of the specific tasks contracted for rather than to the number of hours worked by the individual. For the purposes of this subparagraph, "landman" means a land professional who has been engaged primarily in: 1) negotiating for the acquisition or divestiture of mineral rights; 2) negotiating business agreements that provide for the exploration for or development of minerals; 3) determining ownership of minerals through the research of public and private records; and 4) reviewing the status of title, curing title defects and otherwise reducing title risk associated with ownership of minerals; managing rights or obligations derived from ownership of interests and minerals; or utilizing or pooling of interest in minerals; and

(13) for the purposes of this subsection, if the services performed during one-half or more of any pay period by an individual for the person employing the individual constitute employment, all the services of the individual for the period shall be deemed to be employment, but, if the services performed during more than one-half of any such pay period by an individual for the person employing the individual do not constitute employment, then none of the services of the individual for the period shall be deemed to be employment. As used in this paragraph, the term "pay period" means a period, of not more than thirty-one consecutive days, for which a payment of remuneration is ordinarily made to the individual by the person employing the individual. This paragraph shall not be applicable with respect to services performed in a pay period by an individual for the person employing the individual where any of such service is excepted by Subparagraph (f) of Paragraph (12) of this subsection;

G. "employment office" means a free public employment office, or branch thereof, operated by this state or maintained as a part of a state-controlled system of public employment offices;

H. "fund" means the unemployment compensation fund established by the Unemployment Compensation Law to which all contributions and payments in lieu of contributions required under the Unemployment Compensation Law and from which all benefits provided under the Unemployment Compensation Law shall be paid;

I. "unemployment" means, with respect to an individual, any week during which the individual performs no services and with respect to which no wages are payable to the individual and during which the individual is not engaged in self-employment or receives an award of back pay for loss of employment. The secretary shall prescribe by rule what constitutes part-time and intermittent employment, partial employment and the conditions under which individuals engaged in such employment are eligible for partial unemployment benefits, but no individual who is otherwise eligible shall be deemed ineligible for benefits solely for the reason that the individual seeks, applies for or accepts only part-time work, instead of full-time work, if the part-time work is for at least twenty hours per week;

J. "state", when used in reference to any state other than New Mexico, includes, in addition to the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands;

K. "unemployment compensation administration fund" means the fund established by Subsection A of Section 51-1-34 NMSA 1978 from which administrative expenses under the Unemployment Compensation Law shall be paid. "Employment security department fund" means the fund established by Subsection B of Section 51-1-34 NMSA 1978 from which certain administrative expenses under the Unemployment Compensation Law shall be paid;

L. "crew leader" means a person who:

(1) holds a valid certificate of registration as a crew leader or farm labor contractor under the federal Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act;

(2) furnishes individuals to perform services in agricultural labor for any other person;

(3) pays, either on the crew leader's own behalf or on behalf of such other person, the individuals so furnished by the crew leader for service in agricultural labor; and

(4) has not entered into a written agreement with the other person for whom the crew leader furnishes individuals in agricultural labor that the individuals will be the employees of the other person;

M. "week" means such period of seven consecutive days, as the secretary may by rule prescribe. The secretary may by rule prescribe that a week shall be deemed to be "in", "within" or "during" the benefit year that includes the greater part of such week;

N. "calendar quarter" means the period of three consecutive calendar months ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31;

O. "insured work" means services performed for employers who are covered under the Unemployment Compensation Law;

P. "benefit year" with respect to an individual means the one-year period beginning with the first day of the first week of unemployment with respect to which the individual first files a claim for benefits in accordance with Subsection A of Section 51-1-8 NMSA 1978 and thereafter the one-year period beginning with the first day of the first week of unemployment with respect to which the individual next files such a claim for benefits after the termination of the individual's last preceding benefit year; provided that at the time of filing such a claim the individual has been paid the wage required under Paragraph (5) of Subsection A of Section 51-1-5 NMSA 1978;

Q. "agricultural labor" includes all services performed:

(1) on a farm, in the employ of a person, in connection with cultivating the soil or in connection with raising or harvesting an agricultural or horticultural commodity, including the raising, shearing, feeding, caring for, training and management of livestock, bees, poultry and fur-bearing animals and wildlife;

(2) in the employ of the owner or tenant or other operator of a farm, in connection with the operation, management, conservation or maintenance of the farm and its tools and equipment, if the major part of the service is performed on a farm;

(3) in connection with the operation or maintenance of ditches, canals, reservoirs or waterways used exclusively for supplying and storing water for farming purposes when such ditches, canals, reservoirs or waterways are owned and operated by the farmers using the water stored or carried therein; and

(4) in handling, planting, drying, packing, packaging, processing, freezing, grading, storing or delivery to storage or to market or to a carrier for transportation to market any agricultural or horticultural commodity but only if the service is performed as an incident to ordinary farming operations. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be deemed to be applicable with respect to service performed in connection with commercial canning or commercial freezing or in connection with any agricultural or horticultural commodity after its delivery to a terminal market for distribution for consumption.

As used in this subsection, the term "farm" includes stock, dairy, poultry, fruit, fur-bearing animal and truck farms, plantations, ranches, nurseries, greenhouses, ranges and orchards;

R. "payments in lieu of contributions" means the money payments made into the fund by an employer pursuant to the provisions of Subsection B of Section 51-1-13 NMSA 1978 or Subsection E of Section 51-1-59 NMSA 1978;

S. "department" means the workforce solutions department; and

T. "wages" means all remuneration for services, including commissions and bonuses and the cash value of all remuneration in any medium other than cash. The reasonable cash value of remuneration in any medium other than cash shall be established and determined in accordance with rules prescribed by the secretary; provided that the term "wages" shall not include:

(1) subsequent to December 31, 1977, that part of the remuneration in excess of the base wage as determined by the secretary for each calendar year. The base wage upon which contribution shall be paid during any calendar year shall be sixty percent of the state's average annual earnings computed by the division by dividing total wages reported to the division by contributing employers for the second preceding calendar year before the calendar year the computed base wage becomes effective by the average annual employment reported by contributing employers for the same period rounded to the next higher multiple of one hundred dollars ($100); provided that the base wage so computed for any calendar year shall not be less than seven thousand dollars ($7,000). Wages paid by an employer to an individual in the employer's employ during any calendar year in excess of the base wage in effect for that calendar year shall be reported to the department but shall be exempt from the payment of contributions unless such wages paid in excess of the base wage become subject to tax under a federal law imposing a tax against which credit may be taken for contributions required to be paid into a state unemployment fund;

(2) the amount of any payment with respect to services performed after June 30, 1941 to or on behalf of an individual in the employ of an employing unit under a plan or system established by the employing unit that makes provision for individuals in its employ generally or for a class or classes of individuals, including any amount paid by an employing unit for insurance or annuities, or into a fund, to provide for any payment, on account of:

(a) retirement if the payments are made by an employer to or on behalf of an employee under a simplified employee pension plan that provides for payments by an employer in addition to the salary or other remuneration normally payable to the employee or class of employees and does not include any payments that represent deferred compensation or other reduction of an employee's normal taxable wages or remuneration or any payments made to a third party on behalf of an employee as part of an agreement of deferred remuneration;

(b) sickness or accident disability if the payments are received under a workers' compensation or occupational disease disablement law;

(d) death; provided the individual in its employ has not the option to receive, instead of provision for the death benefit, any part of such payment, or, if such death benefit is insured, any part of the premiums or contributions to premiums paid by the individual's employing unit and has not the right under the provisions of the plan or system or policy of insurance providing for the death benefit to assign the benefit, or to receive a cash consideration in lieu of the benefit either upon the individual's withdrawal from the plan or system providing for the benefit or upon termination of the plan or system or policy of insurance or of the individual's service with the employing unit;

(3) remuneration for agricultural labor paid in any medium other than cash;

(4) a payment made to, or on behalf of, an employee or an employee's beneficiary under a cafeteria plan within the meaning of Section 125 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(5) a payment made, or benefit furnished to or for the benefit of an employee if at the time of the payment or such furnishing it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be able to exclude the payment or benefit from income under Section 129 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(6) a payment made by an employer to a survivor or the estate of a former employee after the calendar year in which the employee died;

(7) a payment made to, or on behalf of, an employee or the employee's beneficiary under an arrangement to which Section 408(p) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986 applies, other than any elective contributions under Paragraph (2)(A)(i) of that section;

(8) a payment made to or for the benefit of an employee if at the time of the payment it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be able to exclude the payment from income under Section 106 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or

(9) the value of any meals or lodging furnished by or on behalf of the employer if at the time the benefit is provided it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be able to exclude such items from income under Section 119 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986."

SECTION 6. Section 51-1-48 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1971, Chapter 209, Section 7, as amended) is amended to read:

"51-1-48. DEFINITIONS--EXTENDED BENEFITS.--

A. As used in this section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, "extended benefit period" means a period that:

(1) begins with the third week after a week for which there is a state "on indicator";

(2) ends with either of the following weeks, whichever occurs later:

(a) the third week after the first week for which there is a state "off indicator"; or

(b) the thirteenth consecutive week of such period; and

(3) does not begin by reason of a state "on indicator" before the fourteenth week following the end of a prior extended benefit period that was in effect with respect to this state.

B. There is a state "on indicator" for this state for a week if the rate of insured unemployment not seasonally adjusted under this section for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding twelve weeks:

(1) equaled or exceeded one hundred twenty percent of the average of the rates for the corresponding thirteen-week period ending in each of the preceding two calendar years; and

(2) equaled or exceeded five percent; or

(3) equaled or exceeded six percent, regardless of the rate of insured unemployment in the two previous years; provided that the operation of this paragraph shall not activate the state "on indicator" any time after four weeks prior to the last week for which one hundred percent federal sharing funding is available under Section 2005(a) of Public Law No. 111-5, without regard to the extension of federal sharing for certain claims as provided under Section 2005(c) of that law; or

(4) with respect to benefits for weeks of unemployment beginning after July 1, 2003 and ending four weeks prior to the last week for which one hundred percent federal sharing funding is available under Section 2005(a) of Public Law No. 111-5, without regard to the extension of federal sharing for certain claims as provided under Section 2005(c) of that law:

(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 six and one-half percent; and

(b) the average rate of total unemployment in this state, seasonally adjusted, as determined by the United States secretary of labor, for the three-month period referred to in Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph, equals or exceeds one hundred ten percent of such average: 1) for either or both of the corresponding three-month periods ending in the two preceding calendar years; or 2) for weeks of unemployment beginning after December 17, 2010 and ending before December 31, 2011, for any or all of the corresponding three-month periods ending in the three preceding calendar years.

C. There is a state "off indicator" for this state for a week only if, for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding twelve weeks, none of the options specified in Subsection B of this section result in a state "on indicator".

D. Except as provided in Subsection E of this section, the total extended benefit amount payable to an eligible individual with respect to the applicable benefit year shall be the least of the following amounts:

(1) fifty percent of the total amount of regular benefits that were payable to the individual pursuant to this section in the individual's applicable benefit year;

(2) thirteen times the individual's average weekly benefit amount that was payable to the individual pursuant to this section for a week of total unemployment in the applicable benefit year; or

(3) thirty-nine times the individual's average weekly benefit amount that was payable to the individual pursuant to this section for a week of total unemployment in the applicable benefit year, reduced by the total amount of regular benefits that were paid, or deemed paid, to the individual pursuant to this section with respect to the benefit year; provided that the amount determined pursuant to this paragraph shall be reduced by the total amount of additional benefits paid, or deemed paid, to the individual under the provisions of this section for weeks of unemployment in the individual's benefit year that began prior to the effective date of the extended benefit period that is current in the week for which the individual first claims extended benefits; and provided further, if the benefit year of the individual ends within an extended benefit period, the remaining balance of the extended benefits that the individual would, but for this paragraph, be entitled to receive in that extended benefit 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 readjustment allowances within that benefit year multiplied by the individual weekly benefit amount for extended benefits.

E. Effective with respect to weeks beginning in a high-unemployment period, the total extended benefit amount payable to an eligible individual with respect to the applicable benefit year shall be the least of the following amounts:

(1) eighty percent of the total amount of regular benefits that were payable to the individual pursuant to this section in the individual's applicable benefit year;

(2) twenty times the individual's average weekly benefit amount that was payable to the individual pursuant to this section for a week of total unemployment in the applicable benefit year; or

(3) forty-six times the individual's average weekly benefit amount that was payable to the individual pursuant to this section for a week of total unemployment in the applicable benefit year reduced by the total amount of regular benefits that were paid, or deemed paid, to the individual pursuant to this section with respect to the benefit year; provided that the amount determined pursuant to this paragraph shall be reduced by the total amount of additional benefits paid, or deemed paid, to the individual under the provisions of this section for weeks of unemployment in the individual's benefit year that began prior to the effective date of the extended benefit period that is current in the week for which the individual first claims extended benefits; and provided further, if the benefit year of an individual ends within an extended benefit period, the remaining balance of the extended benefits that the individual would, but for this paragraph, be entitled to receive in that extended benefit 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 readjustment allowances within that benefit year multiplied by the individual weekly benefit amount for extended benefits.

F. For purposes of Subsection E of this section, "high-unemployment period" means a period during which an extended benefit period would be in effect if Paragraph (4) of Subsection B of this section were applied by substituting "eight percent" for "six and one-half percent".

G. A benefit paid to an individual pursuant to this section shall be charged pursuant to Subsection [B] A of Section 51-1-11 NMSA 1978.

H. As used in this section:

(1) "rate of insured unemployment" 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 thirteen-consecutive-week period, as determined by the secretary on the basis of the secretary's reports to the United States secretary of labor; by

(b) the average monthly employment covered under the Unemployment Compensation Law for the first four of the most recent six completed calendar quarters ending before the end of such thirteen-week period;

(2) "regular benefits" means benefits payable to an individual under the Unemployment Compensation Law or under any other state law, including benefits payable to federal civilian employees and to ex-servicemen pursuant to 5 U.S.C., Chapter 85, other than extended benefits;

(3) "extended benefits" means benefits, including benefits payable to federal civilian employees and to ex-servicemen pursuant to 5 U.S.C., Chapter 85, payable to an individual under the provisions of this section for weeks of unemployment in the individual's eligibility period;

(4) "eligibility period" of an individual means the period consisting of the weeks in the individual's benefit year that begin in an extended benefit period and, if the individual's benefit year ends within such extended benefit period, any weeks thereafter that begin in such period;

(5) "exhaustee" means an individual who, with respect to any week of unemployment in the individual's eligibility period:

(a) has received, prior to such week, all of the regular benefits that were available to the individual under the Unemployment Compensation Law or any other state law, including dependent's allowance and benefits payable to federal civilian employees and ex-servicemen under 5 U.S.C., Chapter 85, in the individual's current benefit year that includes such week; provided that, for the purposes of this subparagraph, an individual shall be deemed to have received all of the regular benefits that were available to the individual, although, as a result of a pending appeal with respect to wages that were not considered in the original monetary determination in the individual's benefit year, the individual may subsequently be determined to be entitled to added regular benefits; or

(b) if the individual's benefit year has 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) has no right to unemployment benefits or allowances, as the case may be, under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the Trade Act of 1974, the Automotive Products Trade Act of 1965 and such other federal laws as are specified in regulations issued by the United States secretary of labor; and 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; and

(6) "state law" means the unemployment insurance law of any state, approved by the United States secretary of labor under Section 3304 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986."

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.--

A. The effective date of the provisions of Section 2 of this act is January 1, 2014.

B. The effective date of the provisions of Sections 1 and 3 through 6 of this act is January 1, 2015.

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