(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Administrator” means the Labor Commissioner in his capacity as administrator of unemployment compensation under chapter 567;

(2) “Self-employment assistance activities” means activities, including entrepreneurial training, business counseling and technical assistance, approved by the administrator, in which an individual identified through the worker profiling system established under section 31-235 as likely to exhaust regular benefits participates for the purpose of establishing a business and becoming self-employed;

(3) “Self-employment assistance allowance” means an allowance payable in lieu of regular benefits and from the Unemployment Fund established under section 31-261 to an individual participating in self-employment assistance activities who meets the requirements of this section;

(4) “Regular benefits” means benefits payable to an individual under chapter 567, including benefits payable to federal civilian employees and ex-service members but excluding additional and extended benefits; and

(5) “Full-time basis” has the meaning contained in regulations adopted by the administrator pursuant to section 31-3z.

(b) The weekly allowance payable under this section to an individual shall be equal to the weekly benefit amount of regular benefits otherwise payable under section 31-231a. The sum of the allowance paid under this section and regular benefits paid with respect to any benefit year shall not exceed the maximum benefit amount established by section 31-231b with respect to such benefit year.

(c) The self-employment assistance allowance shall be payable to an individual at the same intervals, on the same terms, and subject to the same conditions as regular benefits, except that:

(1) The requirements of section 31-235 and subsection (a)(1) of section 31-236 concerning availability for work, active search for work and refusal to accept work shall not apply to such individual;

(2) The requirements of section 31-229 concerning self-employment income shall not apply to income earned from such individual's self-employment;

(3) An individual who meets the requirements of this section shall be considered unemployed pursuant to sections 31-227 and 31-228; and

(4) An individual who fails to participate in self-employment assistance activities or who fails actively to engage, on a full-time basis, in activities, which may include training, relating to the establishment of a business and becoming self-employed shall be disqualified from receiving benefits for the week such failure occurs.

(d) The total number of individuals receiving self-employment assistance allowances under this section shall not, at any time, exceed five per cent of the number of individuals receiving regular benefits.

(e) Allowances paid under this section shall be charged to employers pursuant to chapter 567 in the same manner as regular benefits.

(f) This section shall apply to weekly allowances payable under this section for any week succeeding July 1, 1994, or to weekly allowances payable under this section commencing after any plan required by the United States Department of Labor is approved by such department, whichever is later. The authority provided in this section shall terminate as of the end of the week preceding the date federal law ceases to authorize the provisions of this section, unless such date is a Saturday, in which case, the authority shall terminate as of such date.

(P.A. 94-116, S. 16, 28; P.A. 14-122, S. 144.)

History: P.A. 94-116 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 14-122 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(5).