Trade Adjustment Assistance Improvement Act

Bill: 109-hr-4156
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]
Introduced: 2005-10-27 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Agriculture in foreign trade
Authorization
Commerce
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Labor
Dislocated workers
Economics and Public Finance
Executive reorganization
Federal employees
Federal officials
Federal-state relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Health
Health insurance continuation
Imports
Income tax
Insurance premiums
Labor statistics
Medical economics
Occupational retraining
Service industries
Tax credits
Taxation
Trade adjustment assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: 
Trade Adjustment Assistance Improvement Act - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend trade adjustment assistance (TAA) to workers in a service sector firm, its subdivision, or a public agency.
 
 Revises group eligibility requirements for TAA to cover: (1) a shift, by a public agency to a foreign country, of production of articles or in provision of services, like or directly competitive with articles which are produced, or services which are provided by the workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency; and (2) the situation where the workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency obtains or is likely to obtain such services from a foreign country.
 
Requires the Secretary of Labor to certify as eligible to apply for TAA any adversely affected secondary workers in a service sector firm, its subdivision, or a public agency.
 
Specifies criteria for determination of the existence of increased imports of like or directly competitive articles or services. 
 
 Increases the amount of payments for training of adversely affected workers under the Act.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to waive training requirements for an individual receiving TAA if he or she has an advanced degree or postgraduate certification in a specialized field and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. 
 
Permits as a training program for an adversely affected worker continued enrollment for up to 104 weeks at an institution of higher education to obtain a degree, if there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future.
 
Modifies the demonstration project for alternative TAA for older workers.
 

 

 
Directs the Secretary to implement a system to collect data on all adversely affected workers applying for or receiving TAA.
 
Provides for industry-wide certification of workers, including agricultural commodity producers, for TAA where bilateral or other safeguard provisions are invoked or antidumping or countervailing duties have been imposed.
 

 
Extends the TAA program through FY2012.
 

 
Establishes the Office of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Advisor in the Department of Labor.
 

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the credit for health insurance costs of certain TAA recipients.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
action_date: 2006-03-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
action_date: 2005-11-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-10-27
text: Introduced in House