Topic: Labor — Employee Benefits
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2010-02-25 00:00:00

Temporary Extension Act of 2010 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through April 5, 2010. Postpones the termination of the program until September 4, 2010. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until April 5, 2010: (1) federal-state agreements increasing regular unemployment compensation payments to individuals; and (2) requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and September 4, 2010, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Requires specified transfers from the general fund of the Treasury to the EUCA to fund the extension of the EUC program. (Sec. 3) Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to extend through March 31, 2010, the eligibility of a qualified beneficiary for COBRA (health insurance continuation benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage and premium assistance. Redefines "premium assistance eligible individual'' for COBRA continuation coverage to treat as a qualifying event for such coverage the involuntary termination of employment after enactment of this Act of any qualified beneficiary who did not make (or who made and discontinued) an election of such coverage on the basis of a reduction of hours of employment. (Sec. 4) Extends specified appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2010 for continued extension or reauthorization of certain surface transportation programs through the earlier of March 28, 2010, or enactment into law of an Act to extend or reauthorize such programs. Declares that such extension shall not apply if an extension of such programs and authorities for a longer term is enacted before enactment of this Act. (Sec. 5) Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through March 31, 2010: (1) the 0% update to the conversion factor in the Medicare physican payment computation; and (2) the Medicare physical therapy services caps exceptions process. (Sec. 7) Amends the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 to extend the use of 2009 poverty guidelines through March 31, 2010. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from publishing updated poverty guidelines for 2010 until after such date. (Sec. 8) Amends the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2010 to extend through March 28, 2010, the national flood insurance program. (Sec. 9) Amends the ARRA to extend through March 28, 2010, the small business loan guarantee program. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 10) Extends through March 28, 2010, the adjustment of royalty fees for the secondary transmission of the primary analog transmissions of network stations and superstations. Extends through such date the moratorium on copyright liability for subscribers not receiving a signal of Grade A intensity of a local network television broadcast station and receiving signals of network stations affiliated with the same network, if such subscribers had satellite service of such network signal terminated between July 11, 1998, and October 31, 1999. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to extend through March 28, 2010, the exemption of a subscriber from the originating station consent requirement for retransmission of broadcasting station signals if the subscriber receives the retransmitted signals directly to a home satellite antenna, is located outside the station's local market, and resides in an unserved household. Extends through March 29, 2010, the requirement that certain Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit: (1) a television broadcast station that provides retransmission consent from engaging in exclusive contracts for carriage or failing to negotiate in good faith; and (2) a multichannel video programming distributor from failing to negotiate in good faith for retransmission consent. (Sec. 11) Designates this Act, except Sec. 5, as an emergency in the House of Representatives pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, and in the Senate as an emergency requirement.