Proposed Res. No. 249-A Title Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to enact a further extension of unemployment insurance and calling upon the United States Congress to extend and expand unemployment assistance benefits. Body By Council Members Sanders, Comrie, DeBlasio, Jackson, Monserrate, Nelson and Rivera Whereas, The New York economy has suffered greatly due to the tragic events of September 11th and a lingering recession; and Whereas, Over 550,000 New Yorkers currently are out of work; and Whereas, The unemployment rate in New York City is an alarming 7.6%; and Whereas, Black and Latino communities are experiencing an even greater unemployment rate of over 10%; and Whereas, In March 2002, President Bush signed a law extending unemployment benefits by 13 weeks across the country and another 13 weeks for states with extremely high unemployment; and Whereas, New York did not qualify for the second 13 week extension due to the structure of the federal Extended Benefits program; and Whereas, New Yorkers collecting the first federal extension began to run out of their benefits beginning on June 15, 2002; and Whereas, By August of 2002, approximately 135,000 New Yorkers, a substantial majority of whom are New York City residents, had exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits; and Whereas, New York has the third highest unemployment insurance exhaustion rate in the nation; and Whereas, The State of New York should follow a policy similar to New Jersey, which enacted a state law to fund a ten week benefits extension beyond the federal 13 week extension; and Whereas, Congress is considering legislation that would extend unemployment insurance and disaster unemployment insurance for an additional 13 weeks each; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the New York City Council calls upon New York State Legislature to enact a further extension of unemployment insurance and calls upon the United States Congress to extend and expand unemployment assistance benefits.