S 1647 ISCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To provide for additional emergency unemployment compensation, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

August 7, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. KERRY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BEGICH, Mr. BURRIS, and Mr. FRANKEN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on FinanceCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To provide for additional emergency unemployment compensation, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Assistance for Unemployed Workers Extension Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM.

(a) In General- Section 4007 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), as amended by section 4 of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-449; 122 Stat. 5015) and section 2001(a) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 436), is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘December 31, 2009’ each place it appears and inserting ‘December 31, 2010’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in the heading for subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘DECEMBER 31, 2009’ and inserting ‘DECEMBER 31, 2010’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘May 31, 2010’ and inserting ‘May 31, 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Financing Provisions- Section 4004(e)(1) of such Act, as added by section 2001(b) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111-5; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), is amended by inserting ‘and section 2(a) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers Extension Act’ after ‘Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS.

(a) In General- Section 2002(e) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 438) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘January 1, 2010’ and inserting ‘January 1, 2011’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in the heading for paragraph (2), by striking ‘JANUARY 1, 2010’ and inserting ‘JANUARY 1, 2011’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘June 30, 2010’ and inserting ‘June 30, 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. THIRD-TIER BENEFITS.

(a) In General- Section 4002 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), as amended by section 3 of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-449; 122 Stat. 5014), is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(d) Third Tier of Benefits-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- If, at the time that the amount added to an individual’s account under subsection (c)(1) (in this subsection referred to as ‘additional emergency unemployment compensation’) is exhausted or at any time thereafter, such individual’s State is in an extended benefit period (as determined under paragraph (2)), such account shall be further augmented by an amount (in this subsection referred to as ‘further additional emergency unemployment compensation’) equal to the lesser of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) 50 percent of the total amount of regular compensation (including dependents’ allowances) payable to the individual during the individual’s benefit year under the State law; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) 13 times the individual’s average weekly benefit amount (as determined under subsection (b)(2)) for the benefit year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) EXTENDED BENEFIT PERIOD- For purposes of paragraph (1), a State shall be considered to be in an extended benefit period, as of any given time, if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) such a period would then be in effect for such State under the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 if section 203(d) of such Act--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) were applied by substituting ‘6’ for ‘5’ each place it appears; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) did not include the requirement under paragraph (1)(A) thereof; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) such a period would then be in effect for such State under such Act if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) section 203(f) of such Act were applied to such State (regardless of whether the State by law had provided for such application); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) such section 203(f)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) were applied by substituting ‘8.5’ for ‘6.5’ in paragraph (1)(A)(i) thereof; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) did not include the requirement under paragraph (1)(A)(ii) thereof.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) COORDINATION RULE- Notwithstanding an election under section 4001(e) by a State to provide for the payment of emergency unemployment compensation prior to extended compensation, such State may pay extended compensation to an otherwise eligible individual prior to any further additional emergency unemployment compensation, if such individual claimed extended compensation for at least 1 week of unemployment after the exhaustion of additional emergency unemployment compensation.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) LIMITATION- The account of an individual may be augmented not more than once under this subsection.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Conforming Amendments- Section 4007(b)(2) of such Act, as amended by section 3, is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘then section 4002(c)’ and inserting ‘then subsections (c) and (d) of section 4002’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by striking ‘paragraph (2) of such section)’ and inserting ‘paragraph (2) of such subsection (c) or (d) (as the case may be))’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Effective Date-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) ADDITIONAL BENEFITS- In applying the amendments made by this section, any additional emergency unemployment compensation made payable by such amendment (which would not otherwise have been payable if such amendment had not been enacted) shall be payable only with respect to any week of unemployment beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF FULL FEDERAL FUNDING OF EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION FOR A LIMITED PERIOD.

(a) In General- Section 2005 of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111-5; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘January 1, 2010’ each place it appears and inserting ‘January 1, 2011’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘June 1, 2010’ and inserting ‘June 1, 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Extension of Temporary Federal Matching for the First Week of Extended Benefits for States With No Waiting Week- Section 5 of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-449; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), as amended by section 2005(d) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111-5; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), is amended by striking ‘May 30, 2010’ and inserting ‘May 30, 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Effective Dates-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) FIRST WEEK- The amendment made by subsection (b) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT.

(a) Benefits- Section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, as added by section 2006 of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 445), is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in clause (iii)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking ‘June 30, 2009’ and inserting ‘June 30, 2010’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by striking ‘December 31, 2009’ and inserting ‘December 31, 2010’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by adding at the end of clause (iv) the following: ‘In addition to the amount appropriated by the preceding sentence, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated $175,000,000 to cover the cost of additional extended unemployment benefits provided under this subparagraph, to remain available until expended.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Administrative Expenses- Section 2006(b) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 445) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘In addition to funds appropriated by the preceding sentence, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to the Railroad Retirement Board $807,000 to cover the administrative expenses associated with the payment of additional extended unemployment benefits under section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, to remain available until expended.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink