Title: PUA Eligibility Clarification Act of 2021
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
PUA Eligibility Clarification Act of 2021
This bill revokes the authority of the Department of Labor to establish additional eligibility criteria for COVID-19 pandemic unemployment assistance with respect to self-certification by individuals who are directly affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Labor must rescind the guidance titled Expanded Eligibility Provisions for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program, issued on February 25, 2021. The guidance makes individuals eligible to receive regular unemployment compensation and COVID-19 PUA if they (1) refuse an offer to work or return to work because of certain safety concerns, (2) provide services to educational institutions or educational service agencies, and (3) experience a reduction of hours or a temporary or permanent layoff.
A recipient of such PUA before enactment of this bill is not required to repay it. However, this requirement excludes individuals who, as of such enactment, were approved for PUA but have not received it.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1206 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1206

To limit the authority of the Secretary of Labor to modify the pandemic 
        unemployment assistance program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 19, 2021

   Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Crapo, and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To limit the authority of the Secretary of Labor to modify the pandemic 
        unemployment assistance program, 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 ``PUA Eligibility Clarification Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Amendments.--Section 2102(a)(3) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 
9021(a)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii)(I)--
                    (A) in item (ii), by adding ``or'' at the end; and
                    (B) by striking item (kk); and
            (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``through (kk)'' 
        and inserting ``through (jj)''.
    (b) Repeal of Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor shall rescind the 
        guidance entitled, Expanded Eligibility Provisions for the 
        Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program, issued on 
        February 25, 2021.
            (2) Repayment not required.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), in the case of an individual who received pandemic 
                unemployment assistance amounts pursuant to the 
                guidance described in paragraph (1) before the date of 
                enactment of this Act, the individual shall not be 
                required to repay the amounts.
                    (B) Exception.--Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to 
                any individual who, as of the date of enactment of this 
                Act, was approved to receive compensation amounts 
                pursuant to the guidance described in paragraph (1)(A) 
                but had not yet received the amounts.
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