Title: Unemployment Insurance Technology and Accessibility Act of 2020
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Unemployment Insurance Technology and Accessibility Act of 2020  This bill provides grants for states to establish accessible, online systems to file claims for unemployment benefits.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4283 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4283

 To provide funding for States to improve their unemployment insurance 
              technology systems, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 22, 2020

  Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Brown, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. 
 Menendez, Mr. Casey, Ms. Cortez Masto, and Ms. Rosen) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide funding for States to improve their unemployment insurance 
              technology systems, 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 ``Unemployment Insurance Technology 
and Accessibility Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL TRANSFER FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUNDING.

    Section 903 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1103) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Special Transfer in Fiscal Year 2020 for Improved Information 
Technology.--
            ``(1) In general.--In addition to any other amounts, the 
        Secretary of Labor shall provide for the making of grants to 
        the accounts of the States in the Unemployment Trust Fund, by 
        transfer from amounts in the Federal unemployment account, in 
        accordance with succeeding provisions of this subsection.
            ``(2) Amount of payment.--The amount of payment under 
        paragraph (1) with respect to any State shall, as determined by 
        the Secretary of Labor, be equal to the amount obtained by 
        multiplying $500,000,000 by the same ratio as would apply under 
        subsection (a)(2)(B) for purposes of determining such State's 
        share of any excess amount (as described in subsection (a)(1)) 
        that would have been subject to transfer to State accounts, as 
        of October 1, 2019, under the provisions of subsection (a).
            ``(3) Use of funds.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Any amount transferred to the 
                account of a State by reason of this section shall be 
                used by the State agency of such State to improve the 
                information technology used by the State agency to 
                administer the unemployment compensation laws of the 
                State.
                    ``(B) Condition for receiving a grant.--
                            ``(i) In general.--As a condition of 
                        receiving a grant under this subsection, a 
                        State shall certify to the Secretary of Labor 
                        that, within 2 years of receiving such grant--
                                    ``(I) the information technology 
                                used by the State agency to administer 
                                the unemployment compensation laws of 
                                the State will meet the requirements 
                                described in clause (ii); and
                                    ``(II) applications for 
                                unemployment compensation, and 
                                assistance with the application 
                                process, will be accessible in at least 
                                two of the following: in-person, by 
                                phone, or online.
                            ``(ii) Requirements.--The requirements for 
                        the information technology described in this 
                        clause are the following:
                                    ``(I) Requirements for online 
                                claim-filing system.--Any online claim-
                                filing system used by the State shall--
                                            ``(aa) ensure that the 
                                        process of filing initial and 
                                        continuing claims for 
                                        unemployment compensation can 
                                        be readily understood and 
                                        accomplished by the vast 
                                        majority of claimants, 
                                        including individuals with 
                                        limited English proficiency, 
                                        individuals with disabilities, 
                                        older individuals, and 
                                        individuals with literacy 
                                        challenges;
                                            ``(bb) be available in any 
                                        language spoken by more than 1 
                                        percent of the State's 
                                        population, and such 
                                        translations must be completed 
                                        by human translators rather 
                                        than translation software;
                                            ``(cc) be accessible and 
                                        optimized for both desktop 
                                        computers and mobile devices. 
                                        Any features of the system 
                                        (such as the ability to upload 
                                        documentation) that are 
                                        available in the desktop 
                                        version of the online claim-
                                        filing system must also be 
                                        available in the mobile 
                                        version;
                                            ``(dd) allow for electronic 
                                        submission of documentation 
                                        required to support a claim;
                                            ``(ee) be available 24 
                                        hours a day, 7 days a week; and
                                            ``(ff) have an automated 
                                        password reset function that 
                                        can be completed online.
                                    ``(II) Additional requirements for 
                                information technology.--Any other 
                                requirements determined appropriate by 
                                the Secretary of Labor.
                            ``(iii) Repayment if requirements not 
                        met.--If, at the end of the 2-year period 
                        described in clause (i) with respect to a 
                        State, the Secretary of Labor finds that the 
                        State is not in compliance with the conditions 
                        described in subclauses (I) and (II) of clause 
                        (i), the State shall be required to return the 
                        full amount of the grant to the Secretary of 
                        Treasury. Such repayment shall be deposited 
                        into the general fund of the Treasury.
            ``(4) Funding.--
                    ``(A) In general.--There are appropriated from the 
                general fund of the Treasury, without fiscal year 
                limitation, to the Federal unemployment account 
                $500,000,000 for making grants to States under this 
                subsection. The amount transferred under the preceding 
                sentence shall not be taken into account for purposes 
                of any determination under section 902, 910, or 1203 of 
                the amount in the Federal unemployment account as of 
                any given time.
                    ``(B) Certification.--The Secretary of Labor shall 
                certify to the Secretary of the Treasury for payment to 
                each State the sum payable to each State under this 
                subsection.''.
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