I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3010
To provide for the payment or reimbursement by the Federal Government 
of special unemployment assistance paid by States to individuals partici-
pating in qualified worker training programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 4, 2003
Mr. MICHAUD (for himself and Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways 
and Means 
A BILL 
To provide for the payment or reimbursement by the Federal 
Government of special unemployment assistance paid by 
States to individuals participating in qualified worker 
training programs, 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 ‘‘Workforce Fairness 
and Tax Relief Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. AGREEMENTS WITH STATES HAVING QUALIFIED 
WORKER TRAINING PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any State, the State unemploy-
ment compensation law of which is approved by the Sec-
retary of Labor (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) under section 3304 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, which desires to do so, may enter into and 
participate in an agreement with the Secretary under this 
Act, if such State law contains (as of the date such agree-
ment is entered into) a requirement that special unemploy-
ment assistance be payable to individuals participating in 
a qualified worker training program, as described in sub-
section (b). Any State which is a party to an agreement 
under this Act may, upon providing 30 days’ written no-
tice to the Secretary, terminate such agreement. 
(b) QUALIFIED WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM.—For 
purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘qualified worker training 
program’’ means a program—
(1) under which individuals who meet the re-
quirements described in paragraph (3) are eligible to 
receive special unemployment assistance while par-
ticipating in the program; 
(2) under which the assistance described in 
paragraph (1) is payable in the same amount, at the 
same interval, on the same terms, and subject to the
same conditions, as regular compensation under the 
State law, except that—
(A) State requirements relating to avail-
ability for work, active search for work, and re-
fusal to accept work are not applicable to such 
individuals; 
(B) assistance shall not be payable after 
the end of the 12-month period following the 
last day of the individual’s benefit year; and 
(C) such individuals are considered to be 
unemployed for the purposes of Federal and 
State laws applicable to unemployment com-
pensation, 
as long as such individuals meet the requirements 
applicable under this subsection; 
(3) under which individuals may receive the as-
sistance described in paragraph (1) if such individ-
uals—
(A)(i)(I) have exhausted all rights to reg-
ular compensation under the State law; 
(II) have exhausted all rights to extended 
compensation, or are not entitled thereto, be-
cause of the ending of their eligibility for ex-
tended compensation, in such State;
(ii) have no rights to compensation (includ-
ing both regular compensation and extended 
compensation) with respect to a week under 
such law or any other State unemployment 
compensation law or to compensation under any 
other Federal law; 
(iii) are not receiving compensation with 
respect to such week under the unemployment 
compensation law of Canada or any other for-
eign country; 
(B)(i) were terminated as a result of any 
permanent closure of a plant or facility; or 
(ii) are identified pursuant to a State 
worker profiling system as individuals who—
(I) are long-term unemployed and 
have limited opportunities for employment 
or reemployment in the same or a similar 
occupation in the area in which they re-
side; 
(II) are otherwise unlikely to return 
to their previous industry or occupation; or 
(III) satisfy such other criteria as 
may be established in or under the agree-
ment for purposes of this subclause; and
(C) are actively participating in training 
activities approved by the State agency pre-
paring them for suitable reemployment; and 
(4) which meets such other requirements as the 
Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
SEC. 3. PAYMENTS TO STATES HAVING AGREEMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be paid to each State 
which has entered into an agreement under this Act an 
amount equal to the applicable percentage of the covered 
costs of the qualified worker training program of such 
State. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
(1) APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE.—The term ‘‘ap-
plicable percentage’’, with respect to a State which 
has entered into an agreement under this Act, 
means—
(A) during each of the first 3 calendar 
years beginning on the date on which such 
agreement is entered into, 100 percent; and 
(B) during each calendar year thereafter, 
50 percent. 
(2) COVERED
COSTS.—The term ‘‘covered 
costs’’, with respect to a qualified worker training 
program, means—
(A) the amount of special unemployment 
assistance (as described in section 3(b)(1)) paid 
under such program; and 
(B) such amount as the Secretary deter-
mines to be necessary for the proper and effi-
cient administration of such program. 
(c) METHOD OF PAYMENT.—Sums payable to any 
State by reason of such State’s having an agreement 
under this Act shall be payable, either in advance or by 
way of reimbursement (as determined by the Secretary), 
in such amounts as the Secretary estimates the State will 
be entitled to receive under this Act for each calendar 
month, reduced or increased, as the case may be, by any 
amount by which the Secretary finds that the Secretary’s 
estimates for any prior calendar month were greater or 
less than the amounts which should have been paid to the 
State. Such estimates may be made on the basis of such 
statistical, sampling, or other method as may be agreed 
upon by the Secretary and the State agency of the State 
involved. 
SEC. 4. FINANCING PROVISIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Payments to States under section 
3 shall be made in accordance with this section. 
(b) CERTIFICATIONS.—The Secretary shall from time 
to time certify to the Secretary of the Treasury for pay-