I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7762 
To provide continued support for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2020 
Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself and Mr. HORSFORD) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways 
and Means 
A BILL 
To provide continued support for workers during the COVID- 
19 pandemic, 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 on Your Feet 
Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. CONTINUED ASSISTANCE TO UNEMPLOYED WORK-
ERS UNABLE TO SAFELY RETURN TO WORK. 
(a) EXTENSION OF FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEMPLOY-
MENT COMPENSATION.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 2104(e) of the 
CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9023(e)) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(e) APPLICABILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An agreement entered into 
under this section shall apply to weeks of unemploy-
ment— 
‘‘(A) beginning after the date on which 
such agreement is entered into; and 
‘‘(B) ending on or before January 31, 
2021. 
‘‘(2) TRANSITION RULE FOR INDIVIDUALS RE-
MAINING ENTITLED TO REGULAR COMPENSATION AS 
OF JANUARY 31, 2021.—In the case of any individual 
who, as of the date specified in paragraph (1)(B), 
has not yet exhausted all rights to regular com-
pensation under the State law of a State with re-
spect to a benefit year that began before such date, 
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation 
shall continue to be payable to such individual for 
any week beginning on or after such date for which 
the individual is otherwise eligible for regular com-
pensation with respect to such benefit year. 
‘‘(3) 
TERMINATION.—Notwithstanding 
any 
other provision of this subsection, no Federal Pan-
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demic Unemployment Compensation shall be payable 
for any week beginning after July 31, 2021.’’. 
(2) LIMITATION ON APPLICATION OF TRANSI-
TION RULE.—Section 2104(g) of such Act is amend-
ed by inserting ‘‘(except for subsection (e)(2))’’ after 
‘‘the preceding provisions of this section’’. 
(3) DISREGARD OF FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEM-
PLOYMENT
COMPENSATION
FOR
CERTAIN
PUR-
POSES.—Section 2104(h) of such Act is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(h) DISREGARD OF FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEM-
PLOYMENT COMPENSATION FOR PURPOSES OF ALL FED-
ERAL AND FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS.—A Federal 
Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payment shall 
not be regarded as income and shall not be regarded as 
a resource for the month of receipt and the following 9 
months, for purposes of determining the eligibility of the 
recipient (or the recipient’s spouse or family) for benefits 
or assistance, or the amount or extent of benefits or assist-
ance, under any Federal program or under any State or 
local program financed in whole or in part with Federal 
funds.’’. 
(b) EXTENSION AND BENEFIT PHASEOUT RULE FOR 
PANDEMIC
UNEMPLOYMENT
ASSISTANCE.—Section 
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2102(c) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9021(c)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘paragraphs (2) and (3)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking 
‘‘December 31, 2020’’ and inserting ‘‘January 
31, 2021’’; and 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para-
graph (4); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) TRANSITION RULE FOR INDIVIDUALS RE-
MAINING ENTITLED TO PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT 
ASSISTANCE AS OF JANUARY 31, 2021.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any in-
dividual who, as of the date specified in para-
graph (1)(A)(ii), is receiving Pandemic Unem-
ployment Assistance but has not yet exhausted 
all rights to such assistance under this section, 
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance shall con-
tinue to be payable to such individual for any 
week beginning on or after such date for which 
the individual is otherwise eligible for Pandemic 
Unemployment Assistance. 
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‘‘(B) 
TERMINATION.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of this subsection, no Pan-
demic Unemployment Assistance shall be pay-
able for any week beginning after October 31, 
2021.’’. 
(c) EXTENSION AND BENEFIT PHASEOUT RULE FOR 
PANDEMIC
EMERGENCY
UNEMPLOYMENT
COMPENSA-
TION.—Section 2107(g) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 
9025(g)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(g) APPLICABILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An agreement entered into 
under this section shall apply to weeks of unemploy-
ment— 
‘‘(A) beginning after the date on which 
such agreement is entered into; and 
‘‘(B) ending on or before January 31, 
2021. 
‘‘(2) TRANSITION RULE FOR INDIVIDUALS RE-
MAINING ENTITLED TO PANDEMIC EMERGENCY UN-
EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AS OF JANUARY 31, 
2021.—In the case of any individual who, as of the 
date specified in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), is receiving 
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation 
but has not yet exhausted all rights to such assist-
ance under this section, Pandemic Emergency Un-
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employment Compensation shall continue to be pay-
able to such individual for any week beginning on or 
after such date for which the individual is otherwise 
eligible for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment 
Compensation. 
‘‘(3) 
TERMINATION.—Notwithstanding 
any 
other provision of this subsection, no Pandemic 
Emergency Unemployment Compensation shall be 
payable for any week beginning after April 30, 
2021.’’. 
SEC. 3. BACK ON YOUR FEET PAY TO SUPPORT RETURN TO 
WORK. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2104(b) of the CARES 
Act (15 U.S.C. 9023(b)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (3); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) BACK ON YOUR FEET PAY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any agreement under 
this section shall also provide that the State 
agency of the State shall make a one-time pay-
ment in the amount of $3,600 to each indi-
vidual who— 
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‘‘(i) was eligible for Federal Pandemic 
Unemployment Compensation under para-
graph (1) for any week beginning after the 
date of enactment of the Back on Your 
Feet Act of 2020; and 
‘‘(ii) is no longer so eligible (as deter-
mined by the State), as a result of earn-
ings due to commencing employment. 
A payment made to an individual under this 
subparagraph shall be made as soon as prac-
ticable after the last week for which the indi-
vidual is so eligible. In no case may an indi-
vidual receive more than one payment under 
this subparagraph. 
‘‘(B) PERIOD
OF
INELIGIBILITY.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of this section, 
an individual who receives a payment under 
subparagraph (A) shall be ineligible for Federal 
Pandemic Unemployment Compensation for a 
6-week period beginning with the first week in 
which the individual commenced employment as 
described in such subparagraph. 
‘‘(C) SPECIAL
RULE.—Payments made 
pursuant to an agreement under this paragraph 
shall not be considered to violate the withdrawal 
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requirements of section 303(a)(5) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 503(a)(5)) or section 
3304(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986. 
‘‘(D) TAX
TREATMENT
OF
PAYMENT.— 
Federal individual income tax attributable to a 
payment under subparagraph (A) shall be de-
ducted and withheld from such payment at a 
rate of 10 percent if an individual receiving 
such payment makes a request to the State for 
such deduction and withholding.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 2104 of 
such Act is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and payments under sub-
section (b)(2)’’ after ‘‘Federal Pandemic Unemploy-
ment Compensation’’ each place it appears in sub-
section (d) or (f) of such section; and 
(2) in subsection (g), by inserting ‘‘, as such 
provisions apply with respect to Federal Pandemic 
Unemployment Compensation,’’ after ‘‘the preceding 
provisions of this section’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY OF AMENDMENTS.—The amend-
ments made by this section shall apply only in the case 
of States that receive an emergency administration grant 
under section 903(j) of the Social Security Act. 
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SEC. 4. STATE POLICIES ENSURING SAFE RETURN TO 
WORK AND EMERGENCY TRANSFERS FOR UN-
EMPLOYMENT 
CLAIMS 
PROCESSING 
AND 
BENEFIT ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 903 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1103) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘State Policies to Ensure Safe Return to Work and 
Emergency Transfers for Administration 
‘‘(j)(1)(A) In addition to any other amounts, the Sec-
retary of Labor shall provide for the making of emergency 
administration grants to the accounts of the States in the 
Unemployment Trust Fund, by transfer from amounts re-
served for that purpose in the Federal unemployment ac-
count, in accordance with succeeding provisions of this 
subsection. 
‘‘(B) The amount of an emergency administration 
grant with respect to a State shall, as determined by the 
Secretary of Labor, be equal to $2,000,000,000 multiplied 
by the ratio that the amount certified for the base admin-
istrative grant to the State for fiscal year 2020 under sec-
tion 302(a) bears to the total amount certified for base 
administrative grants to all States for fiscal year 2020 
under such section. 
‘‘(C) The amount described in subparagraph (B) with 
respect to a State shall be transferred to the account of 
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such State upon a certification by the Secretary of Labor 
to the Secretary of the Treasury that the State has pro-
vided documentation of policies, regulations, or laws dem-
onstrating that the State will, as a condition of the grant 
at least through the end of calendar year 2021— 
‘‘(i) provide that if unreasonable health and 
safety risks are present with respect to an employ-
ment position for an individual or any member of 
the individual’s household, due to employer safety 
policies or to specific risk factors of the individual or 
member of the individual’s household (particularly in 
the case of older, immunocompromised, or disabled 
individuals), the presence of such risks constitutes 
good cause— 
‘‘(I) for the individual to separate from 
such employment position; and 
‘‘(II) in the case of an individual who is 
unemployed, for refusing an offer of suitable 
employment in such employment position (re-
gardless of whether such offer of employment 
would pay wages that are equal to or greater 
than the individual’s previous wages); and 
‘‘(ii) provide that in the case of individuals who 
have received amounts of unemployment compensa-
tion to which they were not entitled, the State shall 
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require such individuals to repay the amounts of un-
employment compensation to the State agency, ex-
cept that the State agency shall waive such repay-
ment if it determines that— 
‘‘(I) the payment of such unemployment 
compensation was without fault on the part of 
any such individual; and 
‘‘(II) such repayment would be contrary to 
equity and good conscience. 
‘‘(2) Any amount transferred to the account of a 
State under this subsection may be used by such State 
only for the administration of its unemployment com-
pensation law, including information technology systems 
improvements and upgrades that enhance the user experi-
ence and timeliness of— 
‘‘(A) applying for benefits; 
‘‘(B) processing of benefits; 
‘‘(C) receiving benefits; and 
‘‘(D) implementing future policy changes in-
cluding flexibility in reprogramming. 
A State shall conduct user testing of any such improve-
ments and upgrades in advance of full implementation to 
ensure that they will meet each of the criteria described 
in this paragraph, including during any potential surges 
in the number of initial claims. 
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‘‘(3) A State seeking a grant under this subsection 
shall submit an application to the Secretary of Labor with 
such information as the Secretary may require not later 
than June 30, 2022. The Secretary of Labor shall assist 
states in meeting the conditions of receiving the grant, in-
cluding by providing technical assistance and guidance. 
‘‘(4)(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the gen-
eral fund of the Treasury (from funds not otherwise ap-
propriated) to the employment security administration ac-
count (as established by section 901 of the Social Security 
Act) such sums as the Secretary of Labor estimates to 
be necessary for purposes of making the transfers de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(C). 
‘‘(B) There are appropriated from the general fund 
of the Treasury, without fiscal year limitation, the sums 
referred to in the preceding sentence and such sums shall 
not be required to be repaid.’’. 
(b) GRANTS TO CERTAIN TERRITORIES FOR ADMIN-
ISTRATION OF PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE 
AND FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSA-
TION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor shall 
make an emergency grant to each of the territories 
specified in paragraph (2), in an amount to be allo-
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