I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3148 

To amend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to require 

States to impose certain requirements on individuals seeking pandemic 

unemployment assistance, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 12, 2021 

Mr. JACOBS of New York (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, and 

Mr. MANN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To amend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to require States to impose certain requirements 

on individuals seeking pandemic unemployment assistance, 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 ‘‘Help Wanted Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. REINSTATING STATE WORK REQUIREMENTS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title II of division 

7 A of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 


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1 Act (15 U.S.C. 9023(b)) is amended by adding at the end 

2 the following: 

3 ‘‘SEC. 2119. STATE WORK REQUIREMENTS. 

4 ‘‘As a condition of any agreement under section 

5 2102(f), section 2104(a), or section 2107(a), a State may 

6 not modify its unemployment compensation law and poli7 cies with respect to work search requirements under the 

8 authority of section 4102(b) of the Families First 

9 Coronavirus Response Act (26 U.S.C. 3304 note).’’. 

10 (b) PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.—Sec11 tion 2107(a)(7) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Eco12 nomic Security Act (15 U.S.C. 9025(a)(7)) is amended to 

13 read as follows: 

14 ‘‘(7) ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK.—For purposes 

15 of paragraph (2)(D), the term ‘actively seeking 

16 work’ means, with respect to any individual, that 

17 such individual— 

18 ‘‘(A) is registered for employment services 

19 in such a manner and to such extent as pre20 scribed by the State agency; 

21 ‘‘(B) has engaged in an active search for 

22 employment that is appropriate in light of the 

23 employment available in the labor market, the 

24 individual’s skills and capabilities, and includes 

25 a number of employer contacts that is conVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:42 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3148.IH H3148

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1 sistent with the standards communicated to the 

2 individual by the State; 

3 ‘‘(C) has maintained a record of such work 

4 search, including employers contacted, method 

5 of contact, and date contacted; and 

6 ‘‘(D) when requested, has provided such 

7 work search record to the State agency.’’. 

8 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 2 of the 

9 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act is 

10 amended in the table of contents by inserting after the 

11 item related to section 2118 the following: 

‘‘Sec. 2119. State work requirements’’. 

12 SEC. 3. VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE. 

13 Section 2102(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of the Coronavirus Aid, 

14 Relief, and Economic Security Act (15 U.S.C. 

15 9021(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I)) is amended by striking item (ii). 

16 SEC. 4. SAFETY CONCERNS. 

17 Section 2102(a)(3)(B) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, 

18 and Economic Security Act (15 U.S.C. 9021(a)(3)(B)) is 

19 amended— 

20 (1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’; 

21 (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period and in22 serting ‘‘; or’’; and 

23 (3) by inserting at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(iii) an individual who declines to 

2 work on the basis of safety concerns re3 lated to COVID–19.’’. 

Æ 


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