[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 320 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 320

 To provide for certain reforms with respect to unemployment programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 4 (legislative day, January 5), 1993

  Mr. Wofford introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for certain reforms with respect to unemployment programs.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Unemployment Compensation, 
Reemployment, and Fairness Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. INDIVIDUALS IN SELF-EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 3304(a)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 (relating to requirements) is amended by striking ``compensation'' 
and inserting ``(A) compensation'', by striking the semicolon and 
inserting ``; and'', and by adding at the end thereof the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(B) if the State elects to participate, 
                compensation shall not be denied or reduced to any 
                individual for any week because such individual is 
                participating in a qualified self-employment program 
                (as defined in section 3306(t)) with the approval of 
                the State agency (or because of the application, to any 
                such week in such program, of State law provisions 
                relating to availability for work, active search for 
                work, or refusal to accept work);''.
    (b) Definition.--Section 3306 of such Code (relating to 
definitions) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new 
subsection:
    ``(t) Qualified Self-Employment Program.--For purposes of this 
chapter, the term `qualified self-employment program' means a program 
which--
            ``(1) meets the requirements established by the Secretary 
        of Labor, including requirements for State agencies to 
        determine what constitutes a good prospect for successful, 
        permanent self-employment,
            ``(2) is approved by the State agency, and
            ``(3) provides training for individuals attempting to 
        become self-employed.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to compensation paid for weeks beginning on or after January 1, 
1993.

SEC. 3. EARLY REEMPLOYMENT REVIEW OF UNEMPLOYED WORKERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 303 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
503) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new 
subsection:
    ``(j)(1) The State agency charged with the administration of the 
State law--
            ``(A) shall, not later than the last day of the 5th week 
        for which compensation is payable in an unemployed individual's 
        benefit year, provide an early review of the individual's 
        reemployment prospects, to the extent the State agency 
        determines effective,
            ``(B) shall, to the extent the State agency determines 
        effective, provide reemployment review information to other 
        State employment and training program staff, including staff of 
        State job services and service delivery areas (as described in 
        section 101 of the Job Training Partnership Act),
            ``(C) shall, to the extent the State agency determines 
        effective, provide job search and placement services, 
        counseling, testing, occupational and labor market information, 
        assessment, and referral to employers,
            ``(D) shall provide technical and training program staff to 
        assist with reemployment services,
            ``(E) shall provide followup evaluation and assistance to 
        individuals participating in reemployment activities, and
            ``(F) may provide reemployment reviews and, to the extent 
        the State agency determines effective, reemployment services 
        for workers who have received notice of permanent layoff or 
        impending layoff, or workers in occupations which are 
        experiencing limited demand due to technological change, impact 
        of imports, or plant closures.
    ``(2) The Secretary of Labor shall prescribe such regulations as 
are necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection, including 
regulations--
            ``(A) to carry out the provisions of subparagraphs (A) and 
        (B) of paragraph (1),
            ``(B) to determine whether an individual should be 
        considered temporarily or permanently laid off, and
            ``(C) to assist States in examining the use of computer 
        technology to achieve the purposes of this subsection.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall take 
effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 4. HEARINGS FOR EMPLOYERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 303(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 503(a)(3)) is amended by inserting ``and for all taxpayers with 
respect to liability to make contributions, and to pay amounts, under 
the unemployment compensation law of the State'' before the semicolon.
    (b) Regulations.--The Secretary of Labor may prescribe such 
regulations as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the amendment 
made by subsection (a) to section 303(a)(3) of the Social Security Act.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall take 
effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

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