,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #af1 #bjai 
,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,ms4     
,harris1 and ,mr4 ,murphy7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend chapter  
#he of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to clarify that ,federal employees      
excepted from a furlough are eligible   
for unemployment compensation4  #a4     
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,federal ,unemployment             
,compensation ,equality ,act of #bjai4  
#b4 ,clarification that ,federal        
employees excepted from a furlough are  
eligible for unemployment compensation  
7a7 ,in general ,section #hejb of title 
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 
7#a7 by redesignating subsection 7e7 as 
subsection 7f72 and  7#b7 by inserting  
after subsection 7d7 the following new  
subsection3  7e7 7#a7 ,with respect to  
any lapse in appropriations beginning on

 or after ,december #bb1 #bjah1 each    
excepted ,federal employee shall be1    
solely for the purpose of determining   
eligibility for unemployment            
compensation under this subchapter1     
deemed for the duration of the lapse in 
appropriations to be--  7,a7 totally    
separated from ,federal service2 and    
7,b7 eligible for unemployment          
compensation benefits under this        
subchapter with no waiting period for   
such eligibility to accrue4  7#b7 ,in   
this subsection1 the term excepted      
,federal employee means a ,federal      
employee who-- 7,a7 is an excepted      
employee or an employee performing      
emergency work1 as such terms are       
defined by the ,office of ,personnel    
,management2 and  7,b7 is not being paid
 due to a lapse in appropriations4  4   
7b7 ,application ,the amendments made by
 subsection 7a7 shall apply to weeks of 
unemployment beginning on or after      
,december #bb1 #bjah4