[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1647 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1647

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 7, 2009

    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 Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


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

    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 ``Assistance for Unemployed Workers 
Extension Act''.

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--
            (1) by striking ``December 31, 2009'' each place it appears 
        and inserting ``December 31, 2010'';
            (2) in the heading for subsection (b)(2), by striking 
        ``december 31, 2009'' and inserting ``december 31, 2010''; and
            (3) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ``May 31, 2010'' and 
        inserting ``May 31, 2011''.
    (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''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect as if included in the enactment of the Supplemental 
Appropriations Act, 2008.

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--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``January 1, 2010'' 
        and inserting ``January 1, 2011'';
            (2) in the heading for paragraph (2), by striking ``january 
        1, 2010'' and inserting ``january 1, 2011''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``June 30, 2010'' and 
        inserting ``June 30, 2011''.
    (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.

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:
    ``(d) Third Tier of Benefits.--
            ``(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--
                    ``(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; or
                    ``(B) 13 times the individual's average weekly 
                benefit amount (as determined under subsection (b)(2)) 
                for the benefit year.
            ``(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--
                    ``(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--
                            ``(i) were applied by substituting `6' for 
                        `5' each place it appears; and
                            ``(ii) did not include the requirement 
                        under paragraph (1)(A) thereof; or
                    ``(B) such a period would then be in effect for 
                such State under such Act if--
                            ``(i) section 203(f) of such Act were 
                        applied to such State (regardless of whether 
                        the State by law had provided for such 
                        application); and
                            ``(ii) such section 203(f)--
                                    ``(I) were applied by substituting 
                                `8.5' for `6.5' in paragraph (1)(A)(i) 
                                thereof; and
                                    ``(II) did not include the 
                                requirement under paragraph (1)(A)(ii) 
                                thereof.
            ``(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.
            ``(4) Limitation.--The account of an individual may be 
        augmented not more than once under this subsection.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 4007(b)(2) of such Act, as 
amended by section 3, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``then section 4002(c)'' and inserting 
        ``then subsections (c) and (d) of section 4002''; and
            (2) by striking ``paragraph (2) of such section)'' and 
        inserting ``paragraph (2) of such subsection (c) or (d) (as the 
        case may be))''.
    (c) Effective Date.--
            (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.
            (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.

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--
            (1) by striking ``January 1, 2010'' each place it appears 
        and inserting ``January 1, 2011''; and
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``June 1, 2010'' and 
        inserting ``June 1, 2011''.
    (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''.
    (c) Effective Dates.--
            (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.
            (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.

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--
            (1) in clause (iii)--
                    (A) by striking ``June 30, 2009'' and inserting 
                ``June 30, 2010'';
                    (B) by striking ``December 31, 2009'' and inserting 
                ``December 31, 2010''; and
            (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.''.
    (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.''.
    (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.
                                 <all>