[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3008 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 3008


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 6, 2001

     Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To reauthorize the trade adjustment assistance program under the Trade 
                  Act of 1974, and for other purposes.

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

   TITLE I--REAUTHORIZATION OF TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 
                           RELATED PROVISIONS

SECTION 101. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM.

    (a) Assistance for Workers.--Section 245 of the Trade Act of 1974 
(19 U.S.C. 2317) is amended by striking ``October 1, 1998, and ending 
September 30, 2001,'' each place it appears and inserting ``October 1, 
2001, and ending September 30, 2003,''.
    (b) Assistance for Firms.--Section 256(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 
(19 U.S.C. 2346(b)) is amended by striking ``October 1, 1998, and 
ending September 30, 2001'' and inserting ``October 1, 2001, and ending 
September 30, 2003,''.
    (c) Termination.--Section 285(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 
U.S.C. 2271 note) is amended in paragraphs (1) and (2)(A) by striking 
``September 30, 2001'' and inserting ``September 30, 2003''.
    (d) Training Limitation Under NAFTA Program.--Section 250(d)(2) of 
the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2331(d)(2)) is amended by striking 
``October 1, 1998, and ending September 30, 2001'' and inserting 
``October 1, 2001, and ending September 30, 2003''.
    (e) Clarification of Certain Reductions.--(1) Section 231(a)(3)(B) 
of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2291(a)(3)(B)) is amended by 
striking ``any unemployment insurance'' and inserting ``any regular 
State unemployment insurance''.
    (2) Section 233(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 
2293(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``unemployment insurance'' and 
inserting ``regular State unemployment insurance''.
    (f) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on October 1, 2001.

SEC. 102. AMENDMENTS TO LIMITATIONS ON TRADE READJUSTMENT ALLOWANCES.

    (a) Increase in Maximum Number of Weeks.--Section 233(a) of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2293(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting after ``104-week 
        period'' the following: ``(or, in the case of an adversely 
        affected worker who requires a program of remedial education 
        (as described in section 236(a)(5)(D)) in order to complete 
        training approved for the worker under section 236, the 130-
        week period)''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``26'' each place it 
        appears and inserting ``52''.
    (b) Additional Weeks for Individuals in Need of Remedial 
Education.--Section 233 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2293) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in order 
to assist an adversely affected worker to complete training approved 
for the worker under section 236 which includes a program of remedial 
education (as described in section 236(a)(5)(D)), and in accordance 
with regulations prescribed by the Secretary, payments may be made as 
trade readjustment allowances for up to 26 additional weeks in the 26-
week period that follows the last week of entitlement to trade 
readjustment allowances otherwise payable under this chapter.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to an individual receiving trade readjustment 
allowances pursuant to chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 
(19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.) on or after January 1, 2001.

SEC. 103. EXPEDITED REVIEW OF PETITIONS BY SECRETARY OF LABOR.

    Section 223(a) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2273(a)) is 
amended in the first sentence by striking ``60 days'' and inserting 
``40 days''.

SEC. 104. DECLARATION OF POLICY; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Declaration of Policy.--Congress reiterates that, under the 
trade adjustment assistance program under chapter 2 of title II of the 
Trade Act of 1974, workers are eligible for transportation, childcare, 
and healthcare assistance, as well as other related assistance under 
programs administered by the Department of Labor.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of Labor, working independently and in conjunction with the 
States, should, in accordance with section 225 of the Trade Act of 
1974, provide more specific information about benefit allowances, 
training, and other employment services, and the petition and 
application procedures (including appropriate filing dates) for such 
allowances, training, and services, under the trade adjustment 
assistance program under chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 
to workers who are applying for, or are certified to receive, 
assistance under that program, including information on all other 
Federal assistance available to such workers.

  TITLE II--ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR WORKERS SEPARATED FROM 
     EMPLOYMENT DUE TO THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

    As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Labor shall establish a program to provide adjustment 
assistance for workers separated from employment due to the terrorist 
attacks of September 11, 2001, in accordance with the provisions of 
this title.

SEC. 202. PETITION.

    (a) Petition.--A petition for a certification of eligibility to 
apply for adjustment assistance under this title may be filed with the 
Secretary by a group of workers (including workers in any agricultural 
firm or subdivision of an agricultural firm) or by their certified or 
recognized union or other duly authorized representative. Upon receipt 
of the petition, the Secretary shall promptly publish notice in the 
Federal Register that the Secretary has received the petition and 
initiated an investigation.
    (b) Public Hearing.--If the petitioner, or any other person found 
by the Secretary to have a substantial interest in the proceedings, 
submits not later than 10 days after the date of the Secretary's 
publication under subsection (a) a request for a hearing, the Secretary 
shall provide for a public hearing and afford such interested persons 
an opportunity to be present, to produce evidence, and to be heard.

SEC. 203. CERTIFICATION.

    (a) Certification.--The Secretary shall certify a group of workers 
(including workers in any agricultural firm or subdivision of an 
agricultural firm) as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under 
this title if the Secretary determines--
            (1) that a significant number or proportion of the workers 
        in such workers' firm or an appropriate subdivision of the firm 
        have become totally or partially separated, or are threatened 
        to become totally or partially separated;
            (2) that sales or production, or both, of such firm or 
        subdivision have decreased absolutely; and
            (3) that the national impact of the terrorist attacks of 
        September 11, 2001, contributed importantly to such total or 
        partial separation, or threat thereof, and to such decline in 
        sales or production, as determined by the Secretary.
    (b) Additional Requirements.--The provisions of section 223 of the 
Trade Act of 1974 shall apply to a determination and issuance of a 
certification with respect to a group of workers under this title in 
the same manner and to the same extent as such provisions apply to a 
determination and issuance of a certification with respect to a group 
of workers under the program under subchapter A of chapter 2 of title 
II of such Act, to the extent determined to be appropriate by the 
Secretary.
    (c) Definition.--For purposes of subsection (a)(3), the term 
``contributed importantly'' means a cause which is important but not 
necessarily more important than any other cause.

SEC. 204. BENEFITS.

    Workers covered by a certification issued by the Secretary under 
section 203 shall be provided, in the same manner and to the same 
extent as workers covered under a certification under the program under 
subchapter A of chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974, the 
benefits described in subchapter B of chapter 2 of title II of such 
Act, to the extent determined to be appropriate by the Secretary.

SEC. 205. ADMINISTRATION.

    The provisions of subchapter C of chapter 2 of title II of the 
Trade Act of 1974 shall apply to the administration of the program 
under this title in the same manner and to the same extent as such 
provisions apply to the administration of the program under subchapter 
A of chapter 2 of title II of such Act, to the extent determined to be 
appropriate by the Secretary.

SEC. 206. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.
            (2) Terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001.--The term 
        ``terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001'' means the following 
        events that occurred on September 11, 2001:
                    (A) The attack, using two hijacked commercial 
                aircraft, that was made on the towers of the World 
                Trade Center in New York City.
                    (B) The attack, using a hijacked commercial 
                aircraft, that was made on the Pentagon.
                    (C) The hijacking of a commercial aircraft and the 
                subsequent crash of the aircraft in the State of 
                Pennsylvania, in the County of Somerset.

SEC. 207. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this title $2,000,000,000 
for fiscal years 2002 and 2003.
    (b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) are authorized to 
remain available until expended.

            Passed the House of Representatives December 6, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.