Help Wanted Act

Bill: 117-hr-3148
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Jacobs, Chris [R-NY-27]
Introduced: 2021-05-12
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Employee hiring

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Intergovernmental relations

State and local government operations

Unemployment

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2021-05-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-05-12
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Help Wanted Act</b></p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3148 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 12, 2021 Mr. Jacobs of New York (for himself, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota , and Mr. Mann ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Help Wanted Act . 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: 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 . 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). 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. .