Reopening America by Supporting Workers and Businesses Act of 2021
This bill permits states to provide a one-time lump sum payment, through July 1, 2021, to individuals who (1) were eligible for COVID-19 pandemic unemployment compensation during any week after enactment of this bill, and (2) are no longer eligible as a result of becoming thereafter reemployed. Payments of $1,200 shall be paid to individuals who work at least 30 hours and $600 to individuals who work at least 20 hours but less than 30.
The payments are available for claimants (1) who are not employed by a government entity, (2) who return to work for at least four consecutive weeks, and (3) whose annual salary does not exceed $75,000. Before receipt of a payment, the individuals' employers must verify their hours and earnings.
Additionally, the bill (1) accelerates a scheduled increase in funding for reemployment services and eligibility assessments (RESEA), (2) allows states to use RESEA funds to serve all workers receiving unemployment benefits, and not just those most likely to exhaust their benefits; and (3) allows states to provide reemployment services to individuals receiving pandemic unemployment assistance and pandemic emergency unemployment compensation.
Finally, the bill reinstates the requirement that unemployment claimants certify they are able, available, and actively seeking work.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2188 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2188
To provide relief to workers impacted by COVID-19 and support for
reopening businesses, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2021
Mr. Brady (for himself, Mr. Hern, Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, Mr.
Schweikert, Mr. LaHood, Mrs. Walorski, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, Mr.
Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Wenstrup, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Rice of South
Carolina, Mr. Estes, Mr. Nunes, Mr. Smith of Missouri, and Mr. Smucker)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and the
Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide relief to workers impacted by COVID-19 and support for
reopening businesses, 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 ``Reopening America by Supporting
Workers and Businesses Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. TIME-LIMITED BACK-TO-WORK BONUSES.
(a) In General.--Section 2104(b) of the Cares Act (Public Law 116-
136) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) Back-to-work bonuses.--
``(A) In general.--Any agreement under this section
may also provide that the State agency of the State may
make a one-time lump sum payment to each individual
who--
``(i) was eligible for Federal Pandemic
Unemployment Compensation under paragraph (1)
for any week beginning after the date of
enactment of the Reopening America by
Supporting Workers and Businesses Act of 2021;
``(ii) is no longer so eligible (as
determined by the State), as a result of
earnings due to commencing employment; and
``(iii) as verified by the individual's
employer pursuant to subparagraph (E)--
``(I) has been employed by a non-
governmental employer throughout the
individual's qualifying period;
``(II) is employed for wages
equivalent to an annual salary of not
more than $75,000; and
``(III) remains employed with an
intent to continue such employment.
``(B) Amount.--A payment made to an individual
under this paragraph shall be paid in a lump sum amount
of--
``(i) $1,200 in the case of an individual
who on average is working at least 30 hours or
more per week during the qualifying period; or
``(ii) $600 in the case of an individual
who on average is working at least 20 hours or
more per week, but less than 30 hours, during
the qualifying period.
``(C) Qualifying period.--For purposes of this
paragraph, the term `qualifying period' means, with
respect to an individual, a period--
``(i) beginning on the date the individual
commenced employment as described in
subparagraph (A)(ii); and
``(ii) extending at least 4 consecutive
weeks from such date.
``(D) Duration.--No lump sum payment may be made to
any individual under this paragraph with respect to a
qualifying period beginning on or after July 1, 2021.
``(E) Employer verification.--Before making a lump
sum payment to an individual pursuant to this
paragraph, a State agency shall require verification
from the individual's employer--
``(i) of the individual's employment
status;
``(ii) of the wages paid to the individual
during the qualifying period; and
``(iii) of the hours worked by the
individual during the qualifying period.
``(F) Limitation.--A State may not provide more
than one payment under this paragraph to an individual.
``(G) Special rule.--Payments made pursuant to an
agreement under this paragraph shall not be considered
to violate the withdrawal requirements of section
303(a)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
503(a)(5)) or section 3304(a)(4) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 2104 of such Act is amended--
(1) in subsections (d) and (f), by inserting ``, payments
under subsection (b)(4),'' after ``Federal Pandemic
Unemployment Compensation'' each place it appears; and
(2) in subsection (g)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) the purposes of the preceding provisions of this
section, as such provisions apply with respect to payments
under subsection (b)(4), shall be applied with respect to
unemployment benefits described in subsection (i)(2) to the
same extent and in the same manner as if those benefits were
regular compensation.''.
SEC. 3. ACCELERATED FUNDING INCREASE FOR REEMPLOYMENT SERVICES AND
ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENTS.
Section 314(g)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2
U.S.C. 645(g)(1)(D)) is amended by--
(1) in clause (i), by striking ``$133,000,000'' and
inserting ``$433,000,000''; and
(2) in clause (ii), by striking ``$258,000,000'' and
inserting ``$433,000,000''.
SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY FOR REEMPLOYMENT SERVICES.
(a) CARES Act.--
(1) Pandemic unemployment assistance.--Section 2102 of the
Cares Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(i) Eligibility for Reemployment Services.--Pandemic unemployment
assistance under this section shall be treated as unemployment
compensation for the purposes of section 306 of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 506).''.
(2) Pandemic emergency unemployment compensation.--Section
2107 of the Cares Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(h) Eligibility for Reemployment Services.--Pandemic emergency
unemployment compensation under this section shall be treated as
unemployment compensation for the purposes of section 306 of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 506).''.
(b) Social Security Act.--Section 306(a) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 506(a)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``individuals referred to reemployment
services as described in section 303(j)'' and inserting
``claimants for unemployment compensation, including claimants
referred to reemployment services as described in section
303(j),''; and
(2) by striking ``such individuals'' and inserting ``such
claimants''.
SEC. 5. REINSTATING FEDERAL WORK SEARCH REQUIREMENT.
(a) In General.--Section 4102(b) of the Families First Coronavirus
Relief Act (26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended by striking ``work
search,'' after ``with respect to''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made under subsection (a) shall
take effect on the date that is 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line