Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act

Bill: 109-hr-3761
Sponsor: Rep. Boustany, Charles W., Jr. [R-LA-7]
Introduced: 2005-09-14 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Alabama
Disaster relief
Dislocated workers
Displaced persons
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency housing
Employment agencies
Floods
Grants-in-aid
Housing and Community Development
Hurricane aftermath legislation
Hurricanes
Job hunting
Louisiana
Mississippi
Public service employment
Temporary employment
Unemployment insurance
Water Resources Development

Summary:
action_date: 2005-09-14
text: 
Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act - Allows national emergency grant funds to states under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) for addressing the effects of Hurricane Katrina to be used to provide disaster relief employment on projects that provide assistance in areas outside of the disaster area.
 
Allows such funds to be used to provide disaster relief employment and other WIA assistance, or temporary general public sector employment, to individuals affected by the hurricane, including those who have relocated from states in the disaster area, who were unemployed at the time of the disaster, or who are without employment history, in addition those who meet WIA eligibility requirements. 
 
Limits such general public sector employment to not more than six months in addition to such disaster relief employment. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, however, to extend the duration of employment under this Act and WIA for up to an additional six months due to extraordinary circumstances. 
 
Allows any state, with the Secretary's approval, to use available WIA national emergency grant funds to assist workers affected by the hurricane, including those who have relocated from states in the disaster area.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) states operating one-stop centers should make them available for use in areas affected by the hurricane and areas where large numbers of the hurricane's victims have been relocated; and (2) one-stop operators should increase access for individuals affected by the hurricane, including through expanded operational hours and on-site services for those in temporary housing locations.

action_date: 2005-09-20
text: 
Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act - (Sec. 2) Allows national emergency grant funds to states under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) for addressing the effects of Hurricane Katrina (Katrina) to be used to provide disaster relief employment on projects that provide assistance in areas outside of the Katrina-disaster area.
 
 Allows such funds to be used to provide disaster relief employment and other WIA assistance, or temporary general public sector employment, to Katrina-affected individuals, including those who have relocated from states in the disaster area, who were unemployed at the time of the disaster, or who are without employment history, in addition those who meet WIA eligibility requirements. 
 
Limits such general public sector employment to not more than six months in addition to such disaster relief employment. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, however, to extend the duration of employment under this Act and WIA for up to an additional six months due to extraordinary circumstances.
 
Directs the Secretary, in awarding WIA national emergency grants for disaster relief employment, to give priority: (1) first, to states with major disaster areas; and (2) second, to the remaining states that have been most heavily impacted by the demand for services by Katrina-affected workers.
 
Allows any state, with the Secretary's approval, to use available WIA national emergency grant funds to assist Katrina-affected workers, including those who have relocated from states in the Katrina-disaster area.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award a WIA national emergency grant for employment and training assistance (ETA) for dislocated workers to an eligible entity to provide ETA to Katrina-affected workers, including workers who have relocated from Katrina-disaster areas.
 
(Sec. 3) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) states operating one-stop centers should make them available for use in Katrina-affected areas and areas where large numbers of Katrina's victims have been relocated; and (2) one-stop operators should increase access for Katrina-affected individuals, including through expanded operational hours and on-site services for those in temporary housing.

action_date: 2005-09-21
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 20, 2005. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act - (Sec. 2) Allows national emergency grant funds to states under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) for addressing the effects of Hurricane Katrina (Katrina) to be used to provide disaster relief employment on projects that provide assistance in areas outside of the Katrina-disaster area.
 
 Allows such funds to be used to provide disaster relief employment and other WIA assistance, or temporary general public sector employment, to Katrina-affected individuals, including those who have relocated from states in the disaster area, who were unemployed at the time of the disaster, or who are without employment history, in addition those who meet WIA eligibility requirements. 
 
Limits such general public sector employment to not more than six months in addition to such disaster relief employment. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, however, to extend the duration of employment under this Act and WIA for up to an additional six months due to extraordinary circumstances.
 
Directs the Secretary, in awarding WIA national emergency grants for disaster relief employment, to give priority: (1) first, to states with major disaster areas; and (2) second, to the remaining states that have been most heavily impacted by the demand for services by Katrina-affected workers.
 
Allows any state, with the Secretary's approval, to use available WIA national emergency grant funds to assist Katrina-affected workers, including those who have relocated from states in the Katrina-disaster area.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award a WIA national emergency grant for employment and training assistance (ETA) for dislocated workers to an eligible entity to provide ETA to Katrina-affected workers, including workers who have relocated from Katrina-disaster areas.
 
(Sec. 3) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) states operating one-stop centers should make them available for use in Katrina-affected areas and areas where large numbers of Katrina's victims have been relocated; and (2) one-stop operators should increase access for Katrina-affected individuals, including through expanded operational hours and on-site services for those in temporary housing.

action_date: 2005-09-23
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 20, 2005. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act - (Sec. 2) Allows national emergency grant funds to states under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) for addressing the effects of Hurricane Katrina (Katrina) to be used to provide disaster relief employment on projects that provide assistance in areas outside of the Katrina-disaster area.

 Allows such funds to be used to provide disaster relief employment and other WIA assistance, or temporary general public sector employment, to Katrina-affected individuals, including those who have relocated from states in the disaster area, who were unemployed at the time of the disaster, or who are without employment history, in addition those who meet WIA eligibility requirements. 

Limits such general public sector employment to not more than six months in addition to such disaster relief employment. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, however, to extend the duration of employment under this Act and WIA for up to an additional six months due to extraordinary circumstances.

Directs the Secretary, in awarding WIA national emergency grants for disaster relief employment, to give priority: (1) first, to states with major disaster areas; and (2) second, to the remaining states that have been most heavily impacted by the demand for services by Katrina-affected workers.

Allows any state, with the Secretary's approval, to use available WIA national emergency grant funds to assist Katrina-affected workers, including those who have relocated from states in the Katrina-disaster area.

Authorizes the Secretary to award a WIA national emergency grant for employment and training assistance (ETA) for dislocated workers to an eligible entity to provide ETA to Katrina-affected workers, including workers who have relocated from Katrina-disaster areas.

(Sec. 3) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) states operating one-stop centers should make them available for use in Katrina-affected areas and areas where large numbers of Katrina's victims have been relocated; and (2) one-stop operators should increase access for Katrina-affected individuals, including through expanded operational hours and on-site services for those in temporary housing.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-09-23
text: Became Public Law No: 109-72.
action_date: 2005-09-23
text: Became Public Law No: 109-72.
action_date: 2005-09-23
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2005-09-23
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2005-09-22
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2005-09-22
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2005-09-22
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2005-09-21
text: Cleared for White House.
action_date: 2005-09-21
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S10320)
action_date: 2005-09-21
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S10320)
action_date: 2005-09-21
text: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 216.
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 400 - 0 (Roll no. 476). (text: CR H8108)
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 400 - 0 (Roll no. 476).(text: CR H8108)
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8126-8127)
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3761.
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8108-8110)
action_date: 2005-09-20
text: Mr. Boustany moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2005-09-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2005-09-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-09-14
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 109-72