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the maximum daily benefit rate so computed is not a mul-
tiple of $1, it shall be rounded down to the nearest mul-
tiple of $1.’’.
SEC. 5. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DAYS FOR BENEFITS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (c) of section 2 of the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C. 352(c))
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(c) MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DAYS FOR BENEFITS.—
‘‘(1) NORMAL BENEFITS.—
‘‘(A) GENERALLY.—The maximum number
of days of unemployment within a benefit year
for which benefits may be paid to an employee
shall be 130, and the maximum number of days
of sickness within a benefit year for which bene-
fits may be paid to an employee shall be 130.
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The total amount of
benefits that may be paid to an employee for
days of unemployment within a benefit year
shall in no case exceed the employee’s com-
pensation in the base year; and the total
amount of benefits that may be paid to an em-
ployee for days of sickness within a benefit year
shall in no case exceed the employee’s com-
pensation in the base year, except that notwith-
standing section 1(i), in determining the em-
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ployee’s compensation in the base year for the
purpose of this sentence, any money remunera-
tion paid to the employee for services rendered
as an employee shall be taken into account
that—
‘‘(i) is not in excess of $775 in any
month before 1989; and
‘‘(ii) in any month in a base year
after 1988, is not in excess of an amount
that bears the same ratio to $775 as the
monthly compensation base for that year
as computed under section 1(i) bears to
$600.
‘‘(2) EXTENDED BENEFITS.—
‘‘(A) GENERALLY.—With respect to an
employee who has 10 or more years of service
as defined in section 1(f) of the Railroad Re-
tirement Act of 1974, who did not voluntarily
retire and (in a case involving exhaustion of
rights to normal benefits for days of unemploy-
ment) did not voluntarily leave work without
good cause, and who had current rights to nor-
mal benefits for days of unemployment or days
of sickness in a benefit year but has exhausted
such rights, the benefit year in which such
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rights are exhausted shall be deemed not to be
ended until the last day of the extended benefit
period determined under this paragraph, and
extended unemployment benefits or extended
sickness benefits (depending on the type of nor-
mal benefit rights exhausted) may be paid for
not more than 65 days of unemployment or 65
days of sickness within such extended benefit
period.
‘‘(B) BEGINNING
DATE.—An employee’s
extended benefit period shall begin on the em-
ployee’s first day of unemployment or first day
of sickness, as the case may be, following the
day on which the employee exhausts the em-
ployee’s then current rights to normal benefits
for days of unemployment or days of sickness
and shall continue for 7 consecutive 14-day pe-
riods, each of which shall constitute a registra-
tion period, but no such extended benefit period
shall extend beyond the beginning of the first
registration period in a benefit year in which
the employee is again qualified for benefits in
accordance with section 3 on the basis of com-
pensation earned after the first of such con-
secutive 14-day periods has begun.
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‘‘(C) 
TERMINATION
WHEN
EMPLOYEE
REACHES
AGE
OF
65.—Notwithstanding any
other provision of this paragraph, an extended
benefit period for sickness benefits shall termi-
nate on the day next preceding the date on
which the employee attains age 65, except that
it may continue for the purpose of paying bene-
fits for days of unemployment.
‘‘(3) ACCELERATED BENEFITS.—
‘‘(A) GENERAL RULE.—With respect to an
employee who has 10 or more years of service
as defined in section 1(f) of the Railroad Re-
tirement Act of 1974, who did not voluntarily
retire, and (in a case involving unemployment
benefits) did not voluntarily leave work without
good cause, who has 14 or more consecutive
days of unemployment, or 14 or more consecu-
tive days of sickness, and who is not a qualified
employee with respect to the general benefit
year current when such unemployment or sick-
ness commences but is or becomes a qualified
employee for the next succeeding general bene-
fit year, such succeeding general benefit year
shall, in that employee’s case, begin on the first
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day of the month in which such unemployment
or sickness commences.
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—In the case of a suc-
ceeding benefit year beginning in accordance
with subparagraph (A) by reason of sickness,
such sentence shall not operate to permit the
payment of benefits in the period provided for
in such sentence for any day of sickness begin-
ning with the date on which the employee at-
tains age 65, and continuing through the day
preceding the first day of the next succeeding
general benefit year.
‘‘(C) DETERMINATION OF AGE.—For the
purposes of this subsection, the Board may rely
on evidence of age available in its records and
files at the time determinations of age are
made.’’.
(b) REPEAL
OF DEADWOOD PROVISION.—Section
2(h) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45
U.S.C. 352(h)) is repealed.
(c) REPEAL OF EXPIRED PROVISION.—Section 17 of
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C.
368), relating to payment of supplemental unemployment
benefits, is repealed.
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SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect
on the date of the enactment of this Act.
Union Calendar No. 255
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 2594
[Report No. 104–525]
A BILL
To amend the Railroad Unemployment Insurance
Act to reduce the waiting period for benefits pay-
able under that Act, and for other purposes.
APRIL 18, 1996
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed