Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1192, sub-§7, ¶B, as amended by PL 1983, c. 13, §7, is further amended to read:

B. With respect to weeks of unemployment beginning after September 3, 1982, in any other capacity for an educational institution, benefits shall may not be paid on the basis of those services to any individual for any week which that commences during a period between 2 successive academic years or terms if the individual performs those services in the first of the academic years or terms and there is annual written reasonable assurance that the individual will perform the services in the 2nd of that academic year or terms; except that if benefits are denied to any individual under this paragraph and the individual was not offered an opportunity to perform the services for the educational institution for the 2nd of those academic years or terms, the individual shall be is entitled to a retroactive payment of benefits for each week for which the individual filed a timely claim for benefits and for which benefits were denied solely by reason of this paragraph and except that, if the school district offers a bus driver for that district employment during the interim between 2 successive academic years that pays less than the weekly wage earned by that bus driver during the academic year, the driver is eligible for benefits in an amount equal to the difference between the wages paid by the interim and academic year employment;

SUMMARY

This bill allows school bus drivers who are offered lower- paying jobs by the school district during the summer than what that drivers earn as school bus drivers during the school year to file for unemployment benefits for the difference in pay.