I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3479 
To incentivize American workers to seek and accept jobs, to aid the economic 
recovery by converting Federal pandemic emergency unemployment com-
pensation into back to work bonuses, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2021 
Mr. BUDD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To incentivize American workers to seek and accept jobs, 
to aid the economic recovery by converting Federal pan-
demic emergency unemployment compensation into back 
to work bonuses, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Back to Work Bonus 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. BACK TO WORK BONUSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2104(b) of the CARES 
Act (15 U.S.C. 9023(b)) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (5); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) BACK-TO-WORK BONUSES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any agreement under 
this section may also provide that the State 
agency of the State may make a lump sum pay-
ment to each individual who— 
‘‘(i) was eligible for Federal Pandemic 
Unemployment Compensation under para-
graph (1) for— 
‘‘(I) any week beginning after the 
date of enactment of the Back to 
Work Bonus Act; and 
‘‘(II) at least 4 weeks imme-
diately preceding the week under 
clause (I); 
‘‘(ii) is no longer eligible for Federal 
Pandemic Unemployment Compensation 
under paragraph (1) (as determined by the 
State), as a result of earnings due to com-
mencing employment with an employer by 
whom the individual has not been em-
ployed during the preceding 6 months; and 
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‘‘(iii) as verified by the individual’s 
employer pursuant to subparagraph (E)— 
‘‘(I) has been employed by a non- 
governmental 
employer 
throughout 
the qualifying period; and 
‘‘(II) remains employed with an 
intent to continue such employment. 
‘‘(B) AMOUNT.—A payment made to an 
individual under this paragraph shall be paid in 
a lump sum $900. 
‘‘(C) QUALIFYING PERIOD.—For purposes 
of this paragraph, the term ‘qualifying period’ 
means, with respect to an individual, a period— 
‘‘(i) beginning on the date the indi-
vidual commenced employment as de-
scribed in subparagraph (A)(ii); and 
‘‘(ii) extending at least 4 consecutive 
weeks from such date. 
‘‘(D) DURATION.—A lump-sum payment 
may not be made to any individual under this 
paragraph with respect to a qualifying period 
beginning on or after August 14, 2021. 
‘‘(E) EMPLOYER VERIFICATION REQUIRED 
FOR
LUMP-SUM
PAYMENT.—Before making a 
lump-sum payment to an individual pursuant to 
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this paragraph, a State agency shall require 
verification from the individual’s employer— 
‘‘(i) of the individual’s employment 
status; 
‘‘(ii) of the wages paid to the indi-
vidual during the applicable qualifying pe-
riod; and 
‘‘(iii) of the hours worked by the indi-
vidual during the qualifying period. 
‘‘(F) LIMITATION.—A State may not pro-
vide more than 1 lump-sum payment under this 
paragraph to an individual. 
‘‘(G) SPECIAL
RULE.—A payment made 
pursuant to an agreement under this paragraph 
shall not be considered to violate the withdrawal 
requirements of section 303(a)(5) or section 
3304(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 2104 of 
the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9023) is amended— 
(1) in subsections (d) and (f), by inserting ‘‘, 
payments under subsection (b)(4)’’ after ‘‘Federal 
Pandemic Unemployment Compensation’’ each place 
it appears; and 
(2) in subsection (g)— 
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(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe-
riod at the end inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) the purposes of the preceding provisions of 
this section, as such provisions apply with respect to 
payments under subsection (b)(4), shall be applied 
with respect to unemployment benefits described in 
subsection (i)(2) to the same extent and in the same 
manner as if those benefits were regular compensa-
tion.’’. 
SEC. 3. SUNSETTING FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT 
COMPENSATION. 
Section 2104(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act (15 
U.S.C. 9023(b)(3)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘Sep-
tember 6, 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘the date of enactment of 
the Back to Work Bonus Act’’. 
SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING WORK SEARCH REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) MODIFYING PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSIST-
ANCE.—Section 2102(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of the CARES Act 
(15 U.S.C. 9021(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I)) is amended by striking 
items (aa) through (kk) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(aa) the individual has an 
active infection with COVID–19; 
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‘‘(bb) the individual received 
an order from a physician to 
quarantine due to exposure to 
COVID–19; or 
‘‘(cc) the individual is caring 
for a family member or a mem-
ber of the individual’s household 
described in items (aa) or (bb); 
or’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 2102(c) 
of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9021(c)) is amended by— 
(1) inserting at the end of paragraph (6) the 
following: ‘‘A State shall require proof of active in-
fection or quarantine order required by subsection 
(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I).’’; and 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (6) as 
paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively. 
(c) MODIFYING PANDEMIC EMERGENCY UNEMPLOY-
MENT
COMPENSATION.—Section 
2107(a)(7) 
of 
the 
CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9025(a)(7)) is amended by strik-
ing subparagraph (B) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) FLEXIBILITY.— 
‘‘(i) Notwithstanding the requirements 
under subparagraph (A) and paragraph 
(2)(D), a State may provide flexibility in 
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meeting such requirements in case of indi-
viduals unable to search for work be-
cause— 
‘‘(I) the individual has an active 
infection with COVID–19; 
‘‘(II) the individual received an 
order from a physician to quarantine 
due to exposure to COVID–19; or 
‘‘(III) the individual is caring for 
a family member or a member of the 
individual’s household described in 
subclause (I) or (II). 
‘‘(ii) Prior to providing flexibility 
under this subparagraph, a State shall re-
quire proof of active infection or quar-
antine order required by subclause (I) or 
(II).’’. 
Æ 
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