To provide economic security for America's workers.

January 7, 2003

Mr. DASCHLE (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mrs. CLINTON, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. SMITH, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. REED, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. BAYH, Ms. MIKULSKI, and Mr. NELSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

To provide economic security for America's workers.

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 `Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF THE TEMPORARY EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION ACT OF 2002.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 208 of the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-147; 116 Stat. 30) is amended to read as follows:

`SEC. 208. APPLICABILITY.

`(a) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subsection (b), an agreement entered into under this title shall apply to weeks of unemployment--

`(1) beginning after the date on which such agreement is entered into; and

`(2) ending before June 1, 2003.

`(b) TRANSITION FOR AMOUNT REMAINING IN ACCOUNT-

`(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), in the case of an individual who has amounts remaining in an account established under section 203 as of May 31, 2003, temporary extended unemployment compensation shall continue to be payable to such individual from such amounts for any week beginning after such date for which the individual meets the eligibility requirements of this title.

`(2) NO AUGMENTATION AFTER MAY 31, 2003- If the account of an individual is exhausted after May 31, 2003, then section 203(c) shall not apply and such account shall not be augmented under such section, regardless of whether such individual's State is in an extended benefit period (as determined under paragraph (2) of such section).

`(3) LIMITATION- No compensation shall be payable by reason of paragraph (1) for any week beginning after December 31, 2003.'.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendment made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-147; 116 Stat. 21).

SEC. 3. ENTITLEMENT TO ADDITIONAL WEEKS OF TEMPORARY EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.

(a) ENTITLEMENT TO ADDITIONAL WEEKS-

(1) IN GENERAL- Paragraph (1) of section 203(b) of the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-147; 116 Stat. 28) is amended to read as follows:

`(1) IN GENERAL- The amount established in an account under subsection (a) shall be equal to 26 times the individual's weekly benefit amount for the benefit year.'.

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Section 203(c)(1) of the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-147; 116 Stat. 28) is amended by inserting `one half of' before `the amount originally established in such account'.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE-

(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on or after the date of enactment this Act.

(2) RESUMPTION OF BENEFITS-

(A) RULE APPLICABLE TO EXHAUSTEES- In the case of any individual--

(i) to whom any temporary extended unemployment compensation was payable for any week beginning before January 1, 2003; and

(ii) who exhausted such individual's rights to such compensation (by reason of the payment of all amounts in such individual's temporary extended unemployment compensation account) before January 1, 2003,

such individual's eligibility for any additional weeks of temporary extended unemployment compensation by reason of the amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

(B) RULE APPLICABLE TO NONEXHAUSTEES- In the case of any individual--

(i) to whom any temporary extended unemployment compensation was payable for any week beginning before January 1, 2003, and

(ii) as to whom the condition described in clause (i)(II) does not apply,

such individual shall, upon appropriate application, be eligible for temporary extended unemployment compensation (in accordance with the provisions of the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002, as amended by this Act) with respect to any weeks of unemployment beginning on or after December 29, 2002.

(3) DATE FOR DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY OF EXHAUSTEES FOR AUGMENTED BENEFITS- In the case of any individual described in paragraph (2)(A), the determination under section 203(c) of the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-147; 116 Stat. 28) as to whether such individual's State is in an extended benefit period (for purposes of determining eligibility for augmented benefits under such Act, as amended by this Act) shall be made--

(A) without regard to whether or not such a determination was made under the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002, as in effect before the amendments made by this Act; and

(B)(i) in the case of any individual who did not receive augmented benefits as a result of the application of section 203(c) of such Act (as in effect before the amendments made by this Act), as of the date of enactment of this Act; or

(ii) in the case of any individual who is not described in clause (i), at the time that the individual's account is exhausted under the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002, as amended by this Act.

END