Help Wanted Act
Bill: H.R.3148 | Sponsor: Rep. Jacobs, Chris (R-NY)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Help Wanted Act
This bill eliminates certain work search exceptions and flexibilities in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. Specifically, the bill prohibits states participating in PUA from modifying unemployment work search requirements on an emergency basis to respond to COVID-19. The bill also eliminates a requirement that states be flexible regarding work search requirements for individuals who are unable to search for work because of COVID-19. Similarly, the bill makes individuals who decline to work on the basis of safety concerns related to COVID-19 and claimants who quit working as a direct result of COVID-19 ineligible for PUA.

To amend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to 
 require States to impose certain requirements on individuals seeking 
       pandemic unemployment assistance, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Help Wanted Act''.

SEC. 2. REINSTATING STATE WORK REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title II of division A of the 
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (15 U.S.C. 9023(b)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 2119. STATE WORK REQUIREMENTS.

    ``As a condition of any agreement under section 2102(f), section 
2104(a), or section 2107(a), a State may not modify its unemployment 
compensation law and policies with respect to work search requirements 
under the authority of section 4102(b) of the Families First 
Coronavirus Response Act (26 U.S.C. 3304 note).''.
    (b) Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.--Section 2107(a)(7) of the 
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (15 U.S.C. 
9025(a)(7)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(7) Actively seeking work.--For purposes of paragraph 
        (2)(D), the term `actively seeking work' means, with respect to 
        any individual, that such individual--
                    ``(A) is registered for employment services in such 
                a manner and to such extent as prescribed by the State 
                agency;
                    ``(B) has engaged in an active search for 
                employment that is appropriate in light of the 
                employment available in the labor market, the 
                individual's skills and capabilities, and includes a 
                number of employer contacts that is consistent with the 
                standards communicated to the individual by the State;
                    ``(C) has maintained a record of such work search, 
                including employers contacted, method of contact, and 
                date contacted; and
                    ``(D) when requested, has provided such work search 
                record to the State agency.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 2 of the Coronavirus Aid, 
Relief, and Economic Security Act is amended in the table of contents 
by inserting after the item related to section 2118 the following:

``Sec. 2119. State work requirements''.

SEC. 3. VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE.

    Section 2102(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
Economic Security Act (15 U.S.C. 9021(a)(3)(A)(ii)(I)) is amended by 
striking item (ii).

SEC. 4. SAFETY CONCERNS.

    Section 2102(a)(3)(B) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic 
Security Act (15 U.S.C. 9021(a)(3)(B)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``or'';
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; or''; and
            (3) by inserting at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) an individual who declines to work 
                        on the basis of safety concerns related to 
                        COVID-19.''.
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