EARLY Benefits for Workers Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3379 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3379

To amend title III of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in 
     grants for reemployment services and eligibility assessments.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 4, 2025

  Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. Kaine) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title III of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in 
     grants for reemployment services and eligibility assessments.

    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 ``Expedited Access to Reemployment 
Learning Yields Benefits for Workers Act'' or the ``EARLY Benefits for 
Workers Act''.

SEC. 2. FLEXIBILITY IN GRANTS FOR REEMPLOYMENT SERVICES AND ELIGIBILITY 
              ASSESSMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 306(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 506(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(j) Authority for Early Interventions.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out a State program of 
        reemployment services and eligibility assessments using grant 
        funds awarded to the State under this section, a State may use 
        up to the lessor of 20 percent of such grant funds or 
        $3,000,000 to provide reemployment services and eligibility 
        assessment services and tools to claimants for regular 
        compensation as soon as a claimant files an initial claim for 
        regular compensation.
            ``(2) Determination of eligibility.--In adjudicating an 
        initial claim for regular compensation with respect to a 
        claimant, a State shall not make a determination that such 
        claimant is ineligible for such regular compensation based 
        solely on such claimant's failure to participate in the early 
        interventions under paragraph (1) during the period between 
        such initial claim and such claimant's first week of such 
        regular compensation that is based on such initial claim.
            ``(3) Subsequent determination of ineligibility.--In the 
        case where a claimant is provided reemployment services and 
        eligibility assessment services and tools by a State pursuant 
        to the early interventions under paragraph (1) but is 
        subsequently determined by the State to be ineligible for 
        regular compensation, the following shall apply:
                    ``(A) Such claimant shall be ineligible to continue 
                to be provided such reemployment services and 
                eligibility assessment services and tools unless such 
                services and tools are funded by another source or are 
                generally available to members of the public.
                    ``(B) Such State--
                            ``(i) shall not be considered to be out of 
                        compliance with the terms and conditions of the 
                        grant program by reason of the provision of 
                        such reemployment services and eligibility 
                        assessment services and tools to such claimant 
                        prior to such determination; and
                            ``(ii) shall not be required to return any 
                        grant funds used in providing such reemployment 
                        services and eligibility assessment services 
                        and tools to such claimant prior to such 
                        determination.
            ``(4) Clarification.--Nothing in this subsection shall 
        preclude amounts expended by a State on the early interventions 
        under paragraph (1) from being used to meet the threshold 
        requirement under subsection (c)(2) if the expenditures 
        otherwise meet the requirements for interventions under such 
        subsection.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
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