WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor Ch. 688

provided that the total of such unemployment benefits and
allowances for dependents shall not exceed the maximum weekly
benefit amount in any one benefit week and further provided that
no dependency allowance shall be payable with respect to any week
unless an unemployment benefit is also payable with respect to
such week. An individual's number of dependents shall be
determined as of the day with respect to which he first files a
valid claim for benefits in any benefit year, and shall be fixed
for the duration of such benefit year. No person who has been
determined to be a child of one individual on the beginning date
of such individual's benefit year shall be deemed to be a child
of any other individual whose benefit year starts within one year
thereafter. Dependents' allowances shall be regarded as benefits
for the purpose of computing contribution rates under the terms
of § 8(c) of this article.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1989.

Approved May 25, 1989.

CHAPTER 688

(House Bill 776)

AN ACT concerning

Health Claims Arbitration Office -
Defendant's Certificate of Qualified Expert

FOR the purpose of providing that dismissal, without prejudice,
of a claim filed in the Health Claims Arbitration Office is
discretionary if the claimant fails to file a certificate of
a qualified expert under certain circumstances that the
panel chairman shall grant an extension of time for the
filing of the claimant's certificate of a qualified expert
under certain circumstances; providing that adjudication of
a claim filed in the Health Claims Arbitration Office in
favor of a claimant on the issue of liability is
discretionary if the defendant fails to file a certificate
of a qualified expert under certain circumstances; requiring
that an extension of time for filing a certain certificate
be granted for good cause shown; prohibiting, for certain
certification purposes, a party or certain other persons
from serving as a party's expert and signing a certain
certificate; providing for the application of this Act; and
generally relating to a certain certificate of an expert
filed in the Health Claims Arbitration Office.

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