I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2755 

To provide relocation subsidies for the long-term unemployed, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 12, 2015 

Mr. CA ́RDENAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To provide relocation subsidies for the long-term unemployed, 

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 ‘‘American Worker Mo5 bility Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RELOCATION SUBSIDIES FOR THE LONG-TERM UN7 EMPLOYED. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor may 

9 grant a relocation subsidy to an eligible individual who 

10 meets the requirements of this section. 


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1 (b) MEANING OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—For pur2 poses of this section, an eligible individual is an individual 

3 who, as of the date of the application for a relocation sub4 sidy under this section— 

5 (1) is totally unemployed and has been totally 

6 unemployed for at least 26 consecutive weeks; 

7 (2) has exhausted all rights to regular com8 pensation under the law of a State or under Federal 

9 law with respect to a benefit year (excluding any 

10 benefit year ending before July 1, 2008); 

11 (3) has not received a relocation subsidy under 

12 this section in the 2-year period preceding such date 

13 of application; and 

14 (4) is able to work, available to work, and ac15 tively seeking work. 

16 (c) REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT.—The Secretary of 

17 Labor may not grant a relocation subsidy to an eligible 

18 individual under this section unless the Secretary deter19 mines that— 

20 (1) the relocation subsidy will assist such indi21 vidual in relocating within the United States, at 

22 least 60 miles from the individual’s current resi23 dence, for the purpose of attaining employment; 

24 (2) such individual filed an application with the 

25 Secretary not later than January 1, 2020; and 


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1 (3) such individual— 

2 (A) has obtained a bona fide offer of suit3 able employment affording a reasonable expec4 tation of long-term duration in the area in 

5 which the individual wishes to relocate; or 

6 (B) wishes to relocate to an area that has 

7 an unemployment rate that is at least 2 per8 centage points less than the unemployment rate 

9 of the area of the individual’s initial residence. 

10 (d) AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY.—A relocation subsidy 

11 granted to an eligible individual under this section shall 

12 be equal to the lesser of $10,000 or the amount that any 

13 contribution by a potential employer of the individual to 

14 the individual’s relocation expenses is exceeded by the sum 

15 of— 

16 (1) 90 percent of the reasonable and necessary 

17 expenses incurred in transporting the worker, the 

18 worker’s family, and household effects, plus 

19 (2) a lump sum equivalent to 3 times the indi20 vidual’s weekly benefit amount for the most recent 

21 benefit year (as such terms are defined in the State 

22 law), up to a maximum payment of $1,250. 

23 (e) REGULATIONS.—Prior to granting any relocation 

24 subsidies under subsection (a), the Secretary of Labor 


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1 shall issue regulations designed to prevent fraud or abuse 

2 relating to the program established under this Act. 

3 (f) NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.—No addi4 tional appropriations are authorized for any fiscal year to 

5 carry out this Act. 

6 (g) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 

7 (1) the term ‘‘regular compensation’’ has the 

8 meaning given the term in section 205(2) of the 

9 Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensa10 tion Act of 1970 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note), as in effect 

11 prior to January 1, 2014; and 

12 (2) the term ‘‘suitable work’’— 

13 (A) means suitable work as defined in the 

14 applicable State law for claimants for regular 

15 compensation; and 

16 (B) does not include self-employment or 

17 employment as an independent contractor. 

18 (h) REPORTS.—Not later than March 15 of each of 

19 calendar years 2016 and 2018, the Secretary of Labor 

20 shall submit a report to Congress that identifies, by geo21 graphic region— 

22 (1) the total number of relocation subsidies 

23 granted to individuals under this section during the 

24 calendar year preceding each such calendar year; 


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1 (2) the total number of relocation subsidies 

2 granted to individuals pursuant to subsection 

3 (c)(3)(A) during such calendar year; 

4 (3) the total number of relocation subsidies 

5 granted to individuals pursuant to subsection 

6 (c)(3)(B) during such calendar year, and the num7 ber of such individuals who obtained employment 

8 within 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, respec9 tively, after the individual’s relocation; 

10 (4) the average amount of a relocation subsidy 

11 granted during such calendar year; 

12 (5) the average distance traveled for relocation 

13 by each individual receiving a relocation subsidy dur14 ing such calendar year; and 

15 (6) the number of individuals who received a re16 location subsidy under this section during such cal17 endar year and subsequently applied for unemploy18 ment benefits. 

Æ 


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