The New York legislature is deciding on a bill this week that would extend unemployment insurance by 13 weeks in order to prevent those receiving the payments from running out of benefits. The pending legislation would make New York eligible for federal stimulus funding that could then be used to extend benefits to those already receiving payments for more than a year. If passed, the bill will close any gaps in benefits. An estimated 120,000 New York residents would qualify for the extended benefits.
See "Albany Moves to Enable Extended Jobless Benefits", Patrick McGeehan, The New York Times, May 13, 2009