I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4550
To amend the trade adjustment assistance program under the Trade Act
of 1974 to clarify the eligibility requirements with respect to adversely
affected workers who are engaged in self-employment assistance activities,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 23, 2002
Mr. BALDACCI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To amend the trade adjustment assistance program under
the Trade Act of 1974 to clarify the eligibility require-
ments with respect to adversely affected workers who
are engaged in self-employment assistance activities, 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 ‘‘Small Business and
Dislocated Worker Opportunity Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSIST-
ANCE PROGRAM UNDER THE TRADE ACT OF
1974.
(a) ELIGIBILITY
FOR CERTAIN ADVERSELY AF-
FECTED WORKERS.—Section 231 of the Trade Act of
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2291) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(d) Participation by an adversely affected worker
covered by a certification under subchapter A in self-em-
ployment assistance activities shall not affect the eligibility
of that worker to receive benefits under this subchapter.’’.
(b) LIMITATION ON TRADE READJUSTMENT ALLOW-
ANCES.—Section 233 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C.
2293) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(g)(1) In the case of an adversely affected worker
covered by a certification under subchapter A who engages
in self-employment assistance activities, or who has en-
gaged in such activities during any part of the certification
period, a trade readjustment allowance shall not be paid
for any week occurring after (A) the close of the 26-week
period that begins on the date of the establishment of the
small business or, (B) if on the date of such establishment
the worker has fewer than 26 weeks remaining of eligi-
bility for receipt of trade readjustment allowances, the
close of the remaining number of weeks.
‘‘(2) The amount of a trade readjustment allowance
payable with respect to a period described in paragraph
(1) shall be calculated in accordance with the following:
‘‘(A) The amount of the allowance payable for
each week of the first 14 weeks of the period shall
be equal to the amount calculated under section 232.
‘‘(B) The amount of the allowance payable for
each week of the next 6 weeks of the period shall be
equal to 75 percent of the amount calculated under
section 232.
‘‘(C) The amount of the allowance payable for
each week of the next 6 weeks of the period shall be
equal to 50 percent of the amount calculated under
section 232.’’.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—Section 247 of the Trade Act of
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2319) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(18) The term ‘self-employment assistance ac-
tivities’ means—
‘‘(A) entrepreneurial training, business
counseling, technical assistance, and related ac-
tivities approved by the appropriate State agen-
cy; and
‘‘(B) activities (which may include train-
ing), engaged in on a full-time basis, relating to
the establishment of a business and becoming
self-employed.’’.
(d) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor
shall issue such guidelines as the Secretary determines to
be necessary to carry out the amendments made by this
section.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT
TAX ACT.
Section 3306(t) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘A program shall not be considered to be in nonconform-
ance with this subsection solely because the program ex-
pressly or in effect waives the requirement described in
paragraph (3)(B) in the case of any individual who is cov-
ered by a certification under subchapter A of chapter 2
of title II of the Trade Act of 1974.’’.
Æ