II 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assistance for Unem5 ployed Workers Extension Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COM7 PENSATION PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4007 of the Supplemental 

9 Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110–252; 26 


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1 U.S.C. 3304 note), as amended by section 4 of the Unem2 ployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 (Public 

3 Law 110–449; 122 Stat. 5015) and section 2001(a) of the 

4 Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Fami5 lies Act (Public Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 436), is amended— 

6 (1) by striking ‘‘December 31, 2009’’ each 

7 place it appears and inserting ‘‘December 31, 

8 2010’’; 

9 (2) in the heading for subsection (b)(2), by 

10 striking ‘‘DECEMBER 31, 2009’’ and inserting ‘‘DE11 CEMBER 31, 2010’’; and 

12 (3) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘May 31, 

13 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘May 31, 2011’’. 

14 (b) FINANCING PROVISIONS.—Section 4004(e)(1) of 

15 such Act, as added by section 2001(b) of the Assistance 

16 for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act 

17 (Public Law 111–5; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), is amended 

18 by inserting ‘‘and section 2(a) of the Assistance for Unem19 ployed Workers Extension Act’’ after ‘‘Act’’. 

20 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

21 this section shall take effect as if included in the enact22 ment of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008. 


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1 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT COM2 PENSATION BENEFITS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2002(e) of the Assistance 

4 for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act 

5 (Public Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 438) is amended— 

6 (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘January 

7 1, 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘January 1, 2011’’; 

8 (2) in the heading for paragraph (2), by strik9 ing ‘‘JANUARY 1, 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘JANUARY 1, 

10 2011’’; and 

11 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘June 30, 

12 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘June 30, 2011’’. 

13 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

14 this section shall take effect as if included in the enact15 ment of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and 

16 Struggling Families Act. 

17 SEC. 4. THIRD-TIER BENEFITS. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4002 of the Supplemental 

19 Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110–252; 26 

20 U.S.C. 3304 note), as amended by section 3 of the Unem21 ployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 (Public 

22 Law 110–449; 122 Stat. 5014), is amended by adding at 

23 the end the following new subsection: 

24 ‘‘(d) THIRD TIER OF BENEFITS.— 

25 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If, at the time that the 

26 amount added to an individual’s account under subVerDate Nov 24 2008 22:56 Aug 07, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1647.IS S1647

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1 section (c)(1) (in this subsection referred to as ‘addi2 tional emergency unemployment compensation’) is 

3 exhausted or at any time thereafter, such individ4 ual’s State is in an extended benefit period (as de5 termined under paragraph (2)), such account shall 

6 be further augmented by an amount (in this sub7 section referred to as ‘further additional emergency 

8 unemployment compensation’) equal to the lesser 

9 of— 

10 ‘‘(A) 50 percent of the total amount of 

11 regular compensation (including dependents’ al12 lowances) payable to the individual during the 

13 individual’s benefit year under the State law; or 

14 ‘‘(B) 13 times the individual’s average 

15 weekly benefit amount (as determined under 

16 subsection (b)(2)) for the benefit year. 

17 ‘‘(2) EXTENDED BENEFIT PERIOD.—For pur18 poses of paragraph (1), a State shall be considered 

19 to be in an extended benefit period, as of any given 

20 time, if— 

21 ‘‘(A) such a period would then be in effect 

22 for such State under the Federal-State Ex23 tended Unemployment Compensation Act of 

24 1970 if section 203(d) of such Act— 


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1 ‘‘(i) were applied by substituting ‘6’ 

2 for ‘5’ each place it appears; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) did not include the requirement 

4 under paragraph (1)(A) thereof; or 

5 ‘‘(B) such a period would then be in effect 

6 for such State under such Act if— 

7 ‘‘(i) section 203(f) of such Act were 

8 applied to such State (regardless of wheth9 er the State by law had provided for such 

10 application); and 

11 ‘‘(ii) such section 203(f)— 

12 ‘‘(I) were applied by substituting 

13 ‘8.5’ for ‘6.5’ in paragraph (1)(A)(i) 

14 thereof; and 

15 ‘‘(II) did not include the require16 ment under paragraph (1)(A)(ii) 

17 thereof. 

18 ‘‘(3) COORDINATION RULE.—Notwithstanding 

19 an election under section 4001(e) by a State to pro20 vide for the payment of emergency unemployment 

21 compensation prior to extended compensation, such 

22 State may pay extended compensation to an other23 wise eligible individual prior to any further addi24 tional emergency unemployment compensation, if 

25 such individual claimed extended compensation for 


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1 at least 1 week of unemployment after the exhaus2 tion of additional emergency unemployment com3 pensation. 

4 ‘‘(4) LIMITATION.—The account of an indi5 vidual may be augmented not more than once under 

6 this subsection.’’. 

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 

8 4007(b)(2) of such Act, as amended by section 3, is 

9 amended— 

10 (1) by striking ‘‘then section 4002(c)’’ and in11 serting ‘‘then subsections (c) and (d) of section 

12 4002’’; and 

13 (2) by striking ‘‘paragraph (2) of such section)’’ 

14 and inserting ‘‘paragraph (2) of such subsection (c) 

15 or (d) (as the case may be))’’. 

16 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

18 the amendments made by this section shall take ef19 fect as if included in the enactment of the Supple20 mental Appropriations Act, 2008. 

21 (2) ADDITIONAL BENEFITS.—In applying the 

22 amendments made by this section, any additional 

23 emergency unemployment compensation made pay24 able by such amendment (which would not otherwise 

25 have been payable if such amendment had not been 


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1 enacted) shall be payable only with respect to any 

2 week of unemployment beginning on or after the 

3 date of the enactment of this Act. 

4 SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF FULL FEDERAL FUNDING OF EX5 TENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION 

6 FOR A LIMITED PERIOD. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2005 of the Assistance for 

8 Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act (Public 

9 Law 111–5; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended— 

10 (1) by striking ‘‘January 1, 2010’’ each place 

11 it appears and inserting ‘‘January 1, 2011’’; and 

12 (2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘June 1, 

13 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘June 1, 2011’’. 

14 (b) EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY FEDERAL MATCH15 ING FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF EXTENDED BENEFITS FOR

16 STATES WITH NO WAITING WEEK.—Section 5 of the Un17 employment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 (Public 

18 Law 110–449; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), as amended by sec19 tion 2005(d) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers 

20 and Struggling Families Act (Public Law 111–5; 26 

21 U.S.C. 3304 note), is amended by striking ‘‘May 30, 

22 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘May 30, 2011’’. 

23 (c) EFFECTIVE DATES.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 

25 subsection (a) shall take effect as if included in the 


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1 enactment of the Assistance for Unemployed Work2 ers and Struggling Families Act. 

3 (2) FIRST WEEK.—The amendment made by 

4 subsection (b) shall take effect as if included in the 

5 enactment of the Unemployment Compensation Ex6 tension Act of 2008. 

7 SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENE8 FITS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOY9 MENT INSURANCE ACT. 

10 (a) BENEFITS.—Section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Railroad 

11 Unemployment Insurance Act, as added by section 2006 

12 of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling 

13 Families Act (Public Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 445), is 

14 amended— 

15 (1) in clause (iii)— 

16 (A) by striking ‘‘June 30, 2009’’ and in17 serting ‘‘June 30, 2010’’; 

18 (B) by striking ‘‘December 31, 2009’’ and 

19 inserting ‘‘December 31, 2010’’; and 

20 (2) by adding at the end of clause (iv) the fol21 lowing: ‘‘In addition to the amount appropriated by 

22 the preceding sentence, out of any funds in the 

23 Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are ap24 propriated $175,000,000 to cover the cost of addi25 tional extended unemployment benefits provided 


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1 under this subparagraph, to remain available until 

2 expended.’’. 

3 (b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Section 2006(b) 

4 of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling 

5 Families Act (Public Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 445) is 

6 amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘In addition 

7 to funds appropriated by the preceding sentence, out of 

8 any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

9 there are appropriated to the Railroad Retirement Board 

10 $807,000 to cover the administrative expenses associated 

11 with the payment of additional extended unemployment 

12 benefits under section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Railroad Unem13 ployment Insurance Act, to remain available until ex14 pended.’’. 

15 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

16 this section shall take effect as if included in the enact17 ment of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and 

18 Struggling Families Act. 

Æ 


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