Flexibility to Promote Reemployment Act

Summary: Flexibility to Promote Reemployment Act  This bill authorizes the Department of Labor to enter into agreements with 10 states per year (currently, 10 states total) for the purpose of allowing such states to conduct reemployment demonstration projects. In addition to a governor of a state, a designee of a governor may apply for approval of such a project.  The allowable project period is extended through December 31, 2021. A demonstration project may include disbursements promoting retention to employers who hire individuals receiving unemployment compensation. Labor must approve completed applications in the order of receipt. Labor may terminate a demonstration project under this bill if it notifies the state in writing with sufficient detail describing the violation and determines that the state has not taken action to correct the violation within 90 days after the notification. The bill directs Labor to evaluate the impact of each demonstration project using existing data sources and methodology appropriate to determine project effects, including the effect on individual skill levels, earnings, and employment retention.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Flexibility to Promote Reemployment 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO PROMOTE REEMPLOYMENT THROUGH 
              DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

    (a) Modification of Numerical Limitation.--Subsection (a) of 
section 305 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 505) is amended by 
inserting ``per year'' after ``10 States''.
    (b) Clarification of Application Requirements.--Subsection (b) of 
such section 305 is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``or his or her designee'' after ``The 
        Governor of any State''; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) for any waiver requested under subsection (c), a 
        statement describing--
                    ``(A) the specific provision or provisions of law 
                for which such waiver is requested; and
                    ``(B) the specific aspects of the project to which 
                such waiver would apply and the reasons why it is 
                needed;''.
    (c) Extension of Eligible Time Period.--Subsection (d) of such 
section 305 is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``may not be approved'' 
        and inserting ``may not be conducted''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``December 31, 2015'' and 
        inserting ``December 31, 2021''.
    (d) Clarification of Demonstration Activities.--Subsection (e) of 
such section 305 is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``for employer-provided 
        training, such as'' and inserting ``to employers or claimants 
        for employer-provided training or''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``, not to exceed the 
        weekly benefit amount for each such individual, to pay part of 
        the cost of wages that exceed the unemployed individual's prior 
        benefit level'' and inserting ``that include disbursements 
        promoting retention''.
    (e) Selection of Qualifying Applications on a First-Come, First-
Served Basis.--Subsection (f) of such section 305 is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs 
        (2) and (3); and
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as redesignated by 
        this subsection) the following:
            ``(1) approve completed applications in the order of 
        receipt;''.
    (f) Termination of Demonstration Projects.--Subsection (g) of such 
section 305 is amended to read as follows:
    ``(g) The Secretary of Labor may terminate a demonstration project 
under this section if the Secretary--
            ``(1) determines that the State has violated the 
        substantive terms or conditions of the project;
            ``(2) notifies the State in writing with sufficient detail 
        describing the violation; and
            ``(3) determines that the State has not taken action to 
        correct the violation within 90 days after the notification.''.
    (g) Effective Date; Transition Rule.--
            (1) Effective date.--The amendments made by this section 
        shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Transition rule.--
                    (A) In general.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
                considered to terminate or otherwise affect any 
                demonstration project approved under section 305 of the 
                Social Security Act before the date of the enactment of 
                this Act.
                    (B) Original conditions continue to apply.--A 
                demonstration project described in subparagraph (A) 
                shall be conducted in the same manner as if subsections 
                (a) through (f) had not been enacted.

SEC. 3. EVALUATION OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 305 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
505) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) The Secretary of Labor shall conduct an impact evaluation of 
each demonstration project conducted under this section, using existing 
data sources to the extent possible and methodology appropriate to 
determine the effects of the demonstration project, including on 
individual skill levels, earnings, and employment retention.''.
    (b) Cooperation by State.--Section 305(b) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 505(b)) (as amended by section 2(b) of this Act) is 
further amended by striking paragraphs (5) and (6) and inserting the 
following:
            ``(5) a description of the manner in which the State will 
        determine the extent to which the goals and outcomes described 
        in paragraph (3) were achieved;
            ``(6) assurances that the State will cooperate, in a timely 
        manner, with the Secretary of Labor with respect to the impact 
        evaluation conducted under subsection (i); and''.
    (c) Reporting.--Not later than 90 days after the end of fiscal year 
2018 and each fiscal year thereafter, until the completion of the last 
evaluation under section 305(i) of the Social Security Act, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate, a report 
that includes a description of--
            (1) the status of each demonstration project being carried 
        out under this section;
            (2) the results of the evaluation completed during the 
        previous fiscal year; and
            (3) the Secretary's plan for--
                    (A) disseminating the findings of the report to 
                appropriate State agencies; and
                    (B) incorporating the components of successful 
                demonstration projects that reduced benefit duration 
                and increased employment into Federal unemployment law.
    (d) Public Dissemination.--In addition to the reporting 
requirements under subparagraph (c), evaluation results shall be shared 
broadly to inform policy makers, service providers, other partners, and 
the public in order to promote wide use of successful strategies, 
including by posting evaluation results on the Internet website of the 
Department of Labor.