Special transfers to State accounts in the Unemployment Trust Fund

(a)

In general

Section 903 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1103) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(f)

Special transfers in fiscal years 2008 through 2012 for modernization

(1)(A)In addition to any other amounts, the Secretary of Labor shall provide for the making of unemployment compensation modernization incentive payments (hereinafter incentive payments) to the accounts of the States in the Unemployment Trust Fund, by transfer from amounts reserved for that purpose in the Federal unemployment account, in accordance with succeeding provisions of this subsection. (B)The maximum incentive payment allowable under this subsection with respect to any State shall, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, be equal to the amount obtained by multiplying $7,000,000,000 times the same ratio as is applicable under subsection (a)(2)(B) for purposes of determining such State’s share of any funds to be transferred under subsection (a) as of October 1, 2007. (C)Of the maximum incentive payment determined under subparagraph (B) with respect to a State— (i)one-third shall be transferred to the account of such State upon a certification under paragraph (4)(B) that the State law of such State meets the requirements of paragraph (2); and (ii)the remainder shall be transferred to the account of such State upon a certification under paragraph (4)(B) that the State law of such State meets the requirements of paragraph (3). (2)The State law of a State meets the requirements of this paragraph if such State law— (A)uses a base period that includes the most recently completed calendar quarter before the start of the benefit year for purposes of determining eligibility for unemployment compensation; or (B)provides that, in the case of an individual who would not otherwise be eligible for unemployment compensation under the State law because of the use of a base period that does not include the most recently completed calendar quarter before the start of the benefit year, eligibility shall be determined using a base period that includes such calendar quarter. (3)The State law of a State meets the requirements of this paragraph if such State law includes provisions to carry out at least 2 of the following subparagraphs: (A)An individual shall not be denied regular unemployment compensation under any State law provisions relating to availability for work, active search for work, or refusal to accept work, solely because such individual is seeking only part-time (and not full-time) work, except that the State law provisions carrying out this subparagraph may exclude an individual if a majority of the weeks of work in such individual’s base period do not include part-time work. (B)An individual shall not be disqualified from regular unemployment compensation for separating from employment if that separation is for compelling family reasons. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term compelling family reasons includes at least the following: (i)Domestic violence (verified by such reasonable and confidential documentation as the State law may require) which causes the individual reasonably to believe that such individual’s continued employment would jeopardize the safety of the individual or of any member of the individual’s immediate family. (ii)The illness or disability of a member of the individual’s immediate family. (iii)The need for the individual to accompany such individual’s spouse— (I)to a place from which it is impractical for such individual to commute; and (II)due to a change in location of the spouse’s employment. (C)Weekly unemployment compensation is payable under this subparagraph to any individual who is unemployed (as determined under the State unemployment compensation law), has exhausted all rights to regular and (if applicable) extended unemployment compensation under the State law, and is enrolled and making satisfactory progress in a State-approved training program or in a job training program authorized under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Such program shall prepare individuals who have been separated from a declining occupation, or who have been involuntarily and indefinitely separated from employment as a result of a permanent reduction of operations at the individual’s place of employment, for entry into a high-demand occupation. The amount of unemployment compensation payable under this subparagraph to an individual for a week of unemployment shall be equal to the individual’s average weekly benefit amount (including dependents’ allowances) for the most recent benefit year, and the total amount of unemployment compensation payable under this subparagraph to any individual shall be equal to at least 26 times the individual’s average weekly benefit amount (including dependents’ allowances) for the most recent benefit year. (4)(A)Any State seeking an incentive payment under this subsection shall submit an application therefor at such time, in such manner, and complete with such information as the Secretary of Labor may by regulation prescribe, including information relating to compliance with the requirements of paragraph (2) or (3), as well as how the State intends to use the incentive payment to improve or strengthen the State’s unemployment compensation program. The Secretary of Labor shall, within 90 days after receiving a complete application, notify the State agency of the State of the Secretary’s findings with respect to the requirements of paragraph (2) or (3) (or both). (B)If the Secretary of Labor finds that the State law provisions (disregarding any State law provisions which are not then currently in effect as permanent law or which are subject to discontinuation under certain conditions) meet the requirements of paragraph (2) or (3), as the case may be, the Secretary of Labor shall thereupon make a certification to that effect to the Secretary of the Treasury, together with a certification as to the amount of the incentive payment to be transferred to the State account pursuant to that finding. The Secretary of the Treasury shall make the appropriate transfer within 30 days after receiving such certification. (C)(i)No certification of compliance with the requirements of paragraph (2) or (3) may be made with respect to any State whose State law is not otherwise eligible for certification under section 303 or approvable under section 3304 of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act. (ii)No certification of compliance with the requirements of paragraph (3) may be made with respect to any State whose State law is not in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (2). (iii)No application under subparagraph (A) may be considered if submitted before October 1, 2007, or after the latest date necessary (as specified by the Secretary of Labor in regulations) to ensure that all incentive payments under this subsection are made before October 1, 2012. (5)(A)Except as provided in subparagraph (B), any amount transferred to the account of a State under this subsection may be used by such State only in the payment of cash benefits to individuals with respect to their unemployment (including for dependents’ allowances and for unemployment compensation under paragraph (3)(C)), exclusive of expenses of administration. (B)A State may, subject to the same conditions as set forth in subsection (c)(2) (excluding subparagraph (B) thereof, and deeming the reference to subsections (a) and (b) in subparagraph (D) thereof to include this subsection), use any amount transferred to the account of such State under this subsection for the administration of its unemployment compensation law and public employment offices. (6)Out of any money in the Federal unemployment account not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall reserve $7,000,000,000 for incentive payments under this subsection. Any amount so reserved shall not be taken into account for purposes of any determination under section 902, 910, or 1203 of the amount in the Federal unemployment account as of any given time. Any amount so reserved for which the Secretary of the Treasury has not received a certification under paragraph (4)(B) by the deadline described in paragraph (4)(C)(iii) shall, upon the close of fiscal year 2012, become unrestricted as to use as part of the Federal unemployment account. (7)For purposes of this subsection, the terms benefit year, base period, and week have the respective meanings given such terms under section 205 of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note). (g)

Special transfers in fiscal years 2008 through 2012 for administration

(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the total amount available for transfer to the accounts of the States pursuant to subsection (a) as of the beginning of each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 shall be equal to the total amount which (disregarding this subsection) would otherwise be so available, increased by $100,000,000. (2)Each State’s share of any additional amount made available by this subsection shall be determined, certified, and computed in the same manner as described in subsection (a)(2) and shall be subject to the same limitations on transfers as described in subsection (b). For purposes of applying subsection (b)(2), the balance of any advances made to a State under section 1201 shall be credited against, and operate to reduce (but not below zero)— (A)first, any additional amount which, as a result of the enactment of this subsection, is to be transferred to the account of such State in a fiscal year; and (B)second, any amount which (disregarding this subsection) is otherwise to be transferred to the account of such State pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) in such fiscal year. (3)Any additional amount transferred to the account of a State as a result of the enactment of this subsection— (A)may be used by the State agency of such State only in the payment of expenses incurred by it for— (i)the administration of the provisions of its State law carrying out the purposes of subsection (f)(2) or any subparagraph of subsection (f)(3); (ii)improved outreach to individuals who might be eligible for regular unemployment compensation by virtue of any provisions of the State law which are described in clause (i); (iii)the improvement of unemployment benefit and unemployment tax operations; and (iv)staff-assisted reemployment services for unemployment compensation claimants; and (B)shall be excluded from the application of subsection (c). (4)The total additional amount made available by this subsection in a fiscal year shall be taken out of the amounts remaining in the employment security administration account after subtracting the total amount which (disregarding this subsection) is otherwise required to be transferred from such account in such fiscal year pursuant to subsections (a) and (b).

(b)

Regulations

The Secretary of Labor may prescribe any regulations necessary to carry out the amendment made by subsection (a).