[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3619 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3619
To amend title II of division A of the CARES Act to modify certain
provisions related to unemployment compensation, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 6, 2020
Mr. Reed introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title II of division A of the CARES Act to modify certain
provisions related to 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 ``Strengthening Unemployment Insurance
for Coronavirus Impacted Workers and Students Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--Section 2102(b) of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-
136) is amended to read as follows:
``(b) Assistance for Unemployment as a Result of COVID-19.--Subject
to subsection (c), the Secretary shall provide pandemic unemployment
assistance--
``(1) to any covered individual while such individual is
unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable to work for the
weeks of such unemployment with respect to which the individual
is not entitled to any other unemployment compensation (as that
term is defined in section 85(b) of title 26, United States
Code) or waiting period credit; and
``(2) to any other individual for weeks with respect to
which the individual would be a covered individual but for the
individual's lack of a recent attachment to the labor force.''.
(b) Amount of Assistance for New Job Entrants.--
(1) In general.--Section 2102(d) of such Act is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``The assistance
authorized under subsection (b)'' and inserting
``Except as provided in paragraph (2), the assistance
authorized under subsection (b)(1)'';
(B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph
(4); and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) Amount of assistance for new job entrants.--The
assistance authorized under subsection (b)(2) for an individual
described in such subsection for a week shall be an amount
equal to $300.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 2102(d)(2) of such Act
is amended by striking ``subsection (b)'' and inserting
``subsection (b)(1)''.
(c) Relationship With Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.--
Section 2104(i)(2)(C) of such Act is amended by striking ``section
2102'' and inserting ``section 2102 (other than assistance provided
under subsection (b)(2) of such section)''.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL PANDEMIC SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION.
Section 2104(b) of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) Federal pandemic short-time compensation.--Any
agreement under this section shall provide that, in the case of
a State that provides under the State law for the payment of
short-time compensation under a short-time compensation program
(as defined in section 3306(v) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986), the State agency of the State will make payments of
compensation (as defined in subsection (h) of such section) to
employees participating in such program in amounts and to the
extent that they would be determined under such program if the
State law of the State were applied, with respect to any week
for which the individual is (disregarding this section)
otherwise eligible under the program under the State law to
receive such compensation, as if such State law had been
modified in a manner such that the amount of compensation
payable for any week shall be equal to the amount determined
under the State law (before the application of this paragraph)
plus $600 (in this section referred to as `Federal Pandemic
Short-Time Compensation').''.
SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.
Section 2104(e) of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended to
read as follows:
``(e) Applicability.--
``(1) In general.--An agreement entered into under this
section shall apply to weeks of unemployment--
``(A) beginning on or after March 13, 2020; and
``(B) ending on or before January 1, 2021.
``(2) Transition rule for individuals remaining entitled to
regular compensation as of january 1, 2021.--In the case of any
individual who, as of the date specified in paragraph (1)(B),
has not yet exhausted all rights to regular compensation under
the State law of a State with respect to a benefit year that
began before such date (or short-time compensation in the case
of a State described in subsection (b)(1)(B)), Federal Pandemic
Unemployment Compensation or Federal Pandemic Short-Time
Compensation (as the case may be) shall continue to be payable
to such individual for any week beginning on or after such date
for which the individual is otherwise eligible for regular
compensation (or short-time compensation) with respect to such
benefit year.
``(3) Termination.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this subsection, no Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation
or Federal Pandemic Short-Time Compensation shall be payable
for any week beginning after June 30, 2021.''.
SEC. 5. DISREGARD OF CERTAIN COMPENSATION FOR MEANS-TESTED PROGRAMS.
(a) Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.--Section 2104(h) of
the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended to read as follows:
``(h) Payment To Be Disregarded for Purposes of All Federal and
Federally Assisted Programs.--A Federal Pandemic Unemployment
Compensation or Federal Pandemic Short-Time Compensation payment shall
not be regarded as income and shall not be regarded as a resource for
the month of receipt and the following 9 months, for purposes of
determining the eligibility of the recipient (or the recipient's spouse
or family) for benefits or assistance, or the amount or extent of
benefits or assistance, under any Federal program or under any State or
local program financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.''.
(b) Enhanced Benefits Under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance
Act.--Section 2(a)(5) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45
U.S.C. 352(a)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(C) A recovery benefit payable under subparagraph (A) shall not
be regarded as income and shall not be regarded as a resource for the
month of receipt and the following 9 months, for purposes of
determining the eligibility of the recipient (or the recipient's spouse
or family) for benefits or assistance, or the amount or extent of
benefits or assistance, under any Federal program or under any State or
local program financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.''.
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF FULL FEDERAL FUNDING OF EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT
COMPENSATION.
Section 4105 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public
Law 116-127) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2020'' each place it
appears and inserting ``June 30, 2021''.
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