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Senate Approves Scaling Back Unemployment Comp

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - A bill which would scale back unemployment compensation benefits has passed in the Florida Senate and is now on its way back to the House for final approval.

The bill (HB 7005) calls for the existing 26-week limit on state benefits to be cut back to 20 weeks. The measure which passed in the Senate by a vote of 29-10 keeps the 26-week limit but only if the jobless rate is 12 percent or higher. The time limit would drop on a sliding scale for lower rates, bottoming out at 12 weeks for any jobless rate of 5 percent or less.

Other provisions would make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

The House previously passed the measure but it must go back there because of changes made by the Senate.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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