I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4444
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish a Personal 
Reemployment Accounts pilot grant program to assist Americans in 
returning to work. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 20, 2004
Mr. PORTER (for himself, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. MCKEON, and Mr. TIAHRT) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish 
a Personal Reemployment Accounts pilot grant program 
to assist Americans in returning to work.
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 ‘‘Worker Reemployment 
Accounts Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT PERSONAL REEMPLOYMENT 
ACCOUNTS. 
Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(e) PERSONAL REEMPLOYMENT ACCOUNTS.—
‘‘(1) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘State’ means each of the several States of the 
United States, the District of Columbia, the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, and the United States 
Virgin Islands. 
‘‘(2) DEMONSTRATION
PROJECT.—In addition 
to the demonstration projects under subsection (b), 
the Secretary may establish and implement a na-
tional demonstration project designed to analyze and 
provide data on workforce training programs that 
accelerate the reemployment of unemployed individ-
uals, promote the retention in employment of such 
individuals, and provide such individuals with en-
hanced flexibility, choice, and control in obtaining 
intensive reemployment, training, and supportive 
services. 
‘‘(3) GRANTS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the 
demonstration project, the Secretary shall make 
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible enti-
ties to provide personal reemployment accounts 
to eligible individuals. In awarding grants under 
this subsection the Secretary shall take into 
consideration awarding grants to eligible enti-
ties from diverse geographic areas, including 
rural areas. 
‘‘(B) DURATION.—The Secretary shall 
make the grants for periods of not less than 2 
years and may renew the grant for each of the 
succeeding 3 years. 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this subsection, the 
term ‘eligible entity’ means—
‘‘(A) a State; or 
‘‘(B) a local board or consortium of local 
boards. 
‘‘(5) USE OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this subsection shall use 
the grant funds to provide, through a local area 
or areas, eligible individuals with personal re-
employment accounts. An eligible individual 
may receive only 1 personal reemployment ac-
count. 
‘‘(B) GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND AMOUNT.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The eligible entity 
shall establish the amount of a personal re-
employment account for each eligible indi-
vidual participating, which shall be uni-
form throughout the area represented by
the eligible entity, and shall not exceed 
$3,000. 
‘‘(ii) OPTION FOR STATES.—If the eli-
gible entity is a State, the eligible entity 
may choose to use the grant statewide, if 
practicable, or only in specified local areas 
within a State. 
‘‘(C) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible enti-
ty shall establish eligibility criteria for indi-
viduals for personal reemployment ac-
counts in accordance with this subpara-
graph. 
‘‘(ii) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA REQUIRE-
MENTS.—
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to 
subclause (II), an individual shall be 
eligible to receive a personal reemploy-
ment account under a grant awarded 
under this subsection if, beginning 
after the date of enactment of this 
subsection, the individual—
‘‘(aa) is identified by the 
State 
pursuant 
to 
section 
303(j)(1) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 503(j)(1)) as like-
ly to exhaust regular unemploy-
ment compensation and in need 
of job search assistance to make 
a successful transition to new 
employment, or the individual’s 
unemployment can be attributed 
in substantial part to unfair com-
petition from Federal Prison In-
dustries, Incorporated; 
‘‘(bb) is receiving regular 
unemployment 
compensation 
under any Federal or State un-
employment compensation pro-
gram administered by the State; 
and 
‘‘(cc) is eligible for not less 
than 20 weeks of regular unem-
ployment compensation described 
in item (bb). 
‘‘(II) ADDITIONAL
ELIGIBILITY 
AND PRIORITY CRITERIA.—An eligible 
entity may establish criteria that are 
in addition to the criteria described in 
subclause (I) for the eligibility of indi-
viduals to receive a personal reemploy-
ment account under this subsection. 
An eligible entity may also establish 
criteria for priority in the provision of 
a personal reemployment account to 
such eligible individuals under a grant 
awarded under this subsection. 
‘‘(iii) TRANSITION RULE.—
‘‘(I) PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED AS 
LIKELY TO EXHAUST UNEMPLOYMENT 
COMPENSATION.—
‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—At the 
option of the eligible entity, and 
subject to item (bb), an indi-
vidual may be eligible to receive a 
personal reemployment account 
under this subsection if the indi-
vidual—
‘‘(AA) during the 13-
week period ending the week 
prior to the date of the en-
actment of the subsection, 
was identified by the State 
pursuant 
to 
section 
303(j)(1) of the Social Secu-
rity 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
503(j)(1)) as likely to ex-
haust regular unemployment 
compensation and in need of 
job 
search 
assistance 
to 
make a successful transition 
to new employment; and 
‘‘(BB) otherwise meets 
the requirements of clause 
(ii)(I)(bb) and (cc). 
‘‘(bb) ADDITIONAL
ELIGI-
BILITY
AND
PRIORITY
CRI-
TERIA.—An eligible entity may 
establish criteria that is in addi-
tion to the criteria described in 
item (aa) for the eligibility of in-
dividuals to receive a personal re-
employment account under this 
subsection. An eligible entity may 
also establish criteria for priority 
in the provision of such accounts 
to such eligible individuals under 
this subsection. 
‘‘(II) PREVIOUSLY
EXHAUSTED 
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.—At
the option of the eligible entity, an in-
dividual may be eligible to receive a 
personal reemployment account under 
a grant awarded under this subsection 
if the individual—
‘‘(aa) during the 26-week 
period ending the week prior to 
the date of the enactment of this 
subsection, exhausted all rights 
to any unemployment compensa-
tion; and 
‘‘(bb)(AA) is enrolled in 
training and needs additional 
support to complete such train-
ing, with a priority of service to 
be provided to such individuals 
who are training for shortage oc-
cupations or high-growth indus-
tries; or 
‘‘(BB) is separated from 
employment in an industry or oc-
cupation that has experienced de-
clining employment, or no longer 
provides any employment, in the 
local labor market during the 2-
year period ending on the date of 
the determination of eligibility of 
the individual under this sub-
paragraph. 
‘‘(iv) 
NO
INDIVIDUAL
ENTITLE-
MENT.—Nothing in this subsection shall be 
construed to entitle any individual to re-
ceive a personal reemployment account. 
‘‘(D) LIMITATIONS.—
‘‘(i) INFORMATION
AND
ATTESTA-
TION.—Prior to the establishment of a per-
sonal reemployment account for an eligible 
individual, the eligible entity receiving a 
grant, through the one-stop delivery sys-
tem in the participating local area or 
areas, shall ensure that the individual—
‘‘(I) is informed of the require-
ments applicable to the personal reem-
ployment account, including the allow-
able uses of funds from the account, 
the limitations on access to services 
described in paragraph (7)(A)(iii) and 
a description of such services, and the 
conditions for receiving a reemploy-
ment bonus;
‘‘(II) has the option to develop a 
personal reemployment plan which will 
identify the employment goals and ap-
propriate combination of services se-
lected by the individual to achieve the 
employment goals; and 
‘‘(III) signs an attestation that 
the individual has been given the op-
tion to develop a personal reemploy-
ment plan in accordance with sub-
clause (II), will comply with the re-
quirements under this subsection re-
lating to the personal reemployment 
accounts, and will reimburse the ac-
count or, if the account has been ter-
minated, the grant awarded under 
this subsection, for any amounts ex-
pended from the account that are not 
allowable. 
‘‘(ii) PERIODIC INTERVIEWS.—If a re-
cipient exhausts his or her rights to any 
unemployment compensation, and the re-
cipient has a remaining balance in his or 
her personal reemployment account, the 
one-stop delivery system shall conduct peri-
odic interviews with the recipient to assist 
the recipient in meeting his or her indi-
vidual employment goals. 
‘‘(iii) USE OF PERSONAL REEMPLOY-
MENT ACCOUNTS.—The eligible entity re-
ceiving a grant shall ensure that eligible 
individuals receiving a personal reemploy-
ment account use the account in accord-
ance with paragraph (7). 
‘‘(6) APPLICATION FOR GRANTS.—To be eligible 
to receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible 
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require, including—
‘‘(A) if the eligible entity is a State—
‘‘(i) assurance that the application 
was developed in conjunction with the local 
board or boards and chief elected officials 
where the personal reemployment accounts 
shall be made available; and 
‘‘(ii) a description of the methods and 
procedures for providing funds to local 
areas where the personal reemployment ac-
counts shall be made available; and
‘‘(B) a description of the criteria and 
methods to be used for determining eligibility 
for the personal reemployment account, includ-
ing whether the eligible entity intends to include 
the optional categories described in paragraph 
(5)(C)(iii), and the additional criteria and pri-
ority for service that the eligible entity intends 
to apply, if any, pursuant to paragraph 
(5)(C)(ii)(II); 
‘‘(C) a description of the methods or proce-
dures to be used to provide eligible individuals 
information relating to services and providers; 
‘‘(D) a description of safeguards to ensure 
that funds from the personal reemployment ac-
counts are used for purposes authorized under 
this subsection and to ensure the quality and 
integrity of services and providers, consistent 
with the purpose of providing eligible individ-
uals with enhanced flexibility, choice, and con-
trol in obtaining intensive reemployment, train-
ing, and supportive services; 
‘‘(E) a description of how the eligible enti-
ty will coordinate the activities carried out 
under this subsection with the employment and 
training activities carried out under section 134
‘‘(B) REEMPLOYMENT BONUS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause 
(ii)— 
‘‘(I) if a recipient determined eli-
gible under paragraph (5)(C)(ii) ob-
tains full-time employment before the 
13th week of unemployment for which 
unemployment compensation is paid, 
the balance of his or her personal re-
employment account shall be provided 
directly to the recipient in cash; and 
‘‘(II) if a recipient determined el-
igible under paragraph (5)(C)(iii) ob-
tains full-time employment before the 
end of the 13th week after the date 
on which the account is established, 
the balance of his or her personal re-
employment account shall be provided 
directly to the recipient in cash. 
‘‘(ii) 
LIMITATIONS.—The 
following 
limitations shall apply with respect to a re-
cipient described in clause (i): 
‘‘(I) 60 percent of the remaining 
personal reemployment account bal-
ance shall be paid to the recipient at 
the time of employment. 
‘‘(II) 40 percent of the remaining 
personal reemployment account shall 
be paid to the recipient after 26 weeks 
of employment retention. 
‘‘(iii) EXCEPTION REGARDING SUBSE-
QUENT EMPLOYMENT.—If a recipient de-
scribed in clause (i) subsequently becomes 
unemployed due to a lack of work after re-
ceiving the portion of the reemployment 
bonus specified under clause (ii)(I), the in-
dividual may use the amount remaining in 
the personal reemployment account for the 
purposes described in subparagraph (A) 
but may not be eligible for additional cash 
payments under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(8) PROGRAM
INFORMATION
AND
EVALUA-
TION.—
‘‘(A) INFORMATION.—The Secretary may 
require from eligible entities the collection and 
reporting on such financial, performance, and 
other program-related information as the Sec-
retary determines is appropriate to carry out
this subsection, including the evaluation de-
scribed in subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(B) EVALUATION.—
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, 
pursuant to the authority provided under 
section 172, shall, directly or through 
grants, contracts, or cooperative agreement 
with appropriate entities, conduct an eval-
uation of the activities carried out under 
any grants awarded under this subsection. 
‘‘(ii) REPORT.—The report to Con-
gress under section 172(e) relating to the 
results of the evaluations required under 
section 172 shall include the recommenda-
tion of the Secretary with respect to the 
use of personal reemployment account as a 
mechanism to assist individuals in obtain-
ing and retaining employment.’’.
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