,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cdif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #ab1    
#bjbj,mr4 ,reed 7for himself1 ,mr4      
,whitehouse1 and ,mr4 ,sanders7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
provide for ,federal financing of       
short-time compensation programs during 
public health emergencies4  #a4 ,short  
title2 table of contents  7a7 ,in       
general ,this ,act may be cited as the  
,preventing ,layoffs ,during a ,public  
,health ,emergency ,act of #bjbj4  7b7  
,table of contents ,the table of        
contents of this ,act is as follows3    
,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of        
contents4,sec4 #b4 ,federal financing of
 short-time compensation payments during
 a public health emergency in ,states   
with programs in law4,sec4 #c4          
,temporary ,federal financing of        
short-time compensation agreements      
during a public health emergency4,sec4  

#d4 ,assistance and guidance in         
implementing short-time compensation    
programs4  #b4 ,federal financing of    
short-time compensation payments during 
a public health emergency in ,states    
with programs in law  7a7 ,payments to  
,states  7#a7 ,in general ,subject to   
paragraph 7#c7 and subsections 7b7 and  
7c71 there shall be paid to a ,state an 
amount equal to #ajj percent of the     
amount of short-time compensation paid  
under a short-time compensation program 
7as defined in section #ccjf7v7 of the  
,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf7 under
 the provisions of the ,state law in any
 area of the ,state for which a public  
health emergency has been declared4     
7#b7 ,terms of payments ,payments made  
to a ,state under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
be payable by way of reimbursement in   
such amounts as the ,secretary estimates
 the ,state will be entitled to receive 
under this section for each calendar    
month1 reduced or increased1 as the case
 may be1 by any amount by which the     

,secretary finds that the ,secretary's  
estimates for any prior calendar month  
were greater or less than the amounts   
which should have been paid to the      
,state4 ,such estimates may be made on  
the basis of such statistical1 sampling1
 or other method as may be agreed upon  
by the ,secretary and the ,state agency 
of the ,state involved4  7#c7           
,limitations on payments  7,a7 ,general 
payment limitations ,no payments shall  
be made to a ,state under this section  
for short-time compensation paid to an  
individual by the ,state during a       
benefit year in excess of #bf times the 
amount of regular compensation          
7including dependents' allowances7 under
 the ,state law payable to such         
individual for a week of total          
unemployment4  7,b7 ,employer           
limitations ,no payments shall be made  
to a ,state under this section for      
benefits paid to an individual by the   
,state under a short-time compensation  
program if such individual is employed  

by the participating employer on a      
seasonal1 temporary1 or intermittent    
basis4  7b7 ,applicability during a     
public health emergency and for #a year 
after the end of such emergency         
,payments to a ,state under subsection  
7a7 shall be available1 with respect to 
an area1 for weeks of unemployment--    
7#a7 beginning on or after the date of  
the declaration of a public health      
emergency for the area 7but in no case  
earlier than the date of the enactment  
of this ,act72 and  7#b7 ending on or   
before the date that is #a year after   
the date of the termination of such     
declaration for such area4  7c7 ,new    
programs ,subject to subsection 7b71 if 
at any point after the date of enactment
 of this ,act a ,state enacts a ,state  
law providing for the payment of        
short-time compensation under a         
short-time compensation program that    
meets the definition of such a program  
under section #ccjf7v7 of the ,internal 
,revenue ,code of #aihf1 the ,state     

shall be eligible for payments under    
this section after the effective date of
 such enactment4  7d7 ,funding and      
certifications  7#a7 ,funding ,there are
 appropriated1 out of moneys in the     
,treasury not otherwise appropriated1   
such sums as may be necessary for       
purposes of carrying out this section4  
7#b7 ,certifications ,the ,secretary    
shall from time to time certify to the  
,secretary of the ,treasury for payment 
to each ,state the sums payable to such 
,state under this section4  7e7         
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,public health emergency ,the term      
public health emergency means a public  
health emergency declared for an area   
by-- 7,a7 the ,secretary of ,health and 
,human ,services under section #cai of  
the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d72 or  7,b7 a ,state    
public health official with the         
authority to declare such an emergency  
for the area4  7#b7 ,secretary ,the term
 ,secretary means the ,secretary of     

,labor4  7#c7 ,state2 ,state agency2    
,state law ,the terms ,state1 ,state    
agency1 and ,state law have the meanings
 given those terms in section #bje of   
the ,federal-,state ,extended           
,unemployment ,compensation ,act of     
#aigj 7#bf ,u4,s4,c4 #ccjd note74  7f7  
,technical correction to definition     
,section #ccjf7v77#f7 of the ,internal  
,revenue ,code of #aihf 7#bf ,u4,s4,c4  
#ccjf7 is amended by striking ,workforce
 ,investment ,act of #aiih and inserting
 ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity
 ,act4  #c4 ,temporary ,federal         
financing of short-time compensation    
agreements during a public health       
emergency  7a7 ,federal-,state          
agreements  7#a7 ,in general ,any ,state
 which desires to do so may enter into1 
and participate in1 an agreement under  
this section with the ,secretary        
provided that such ,state's law does not
 provide for the payment of short-time  
compensation under a short-time         
compensation program 7as defined in     

section #ccjf7v7 of the ,internal       
,revenue ,code of #aihf74  7#b7 ,ability
 to terminate ,any ,state which is a    
party to an agreement under this section
 may1 upon providing #cj days' written  
notice to the ,secretary1 terminate such
 agreement4  7b7 ,provisions of         
,federal-,state agreement  7#a7 ,in     
general ,subject to paragraph 7#b7 and  
subsections 7d7 and 7e71 any agreement  
under this section shall provide that   
the ,state agency of the ,state will    
make payments of short-time compensation
 under a plan approved by the ,state in 
any area of the ,state for which a      
public health emergency has been        
declared4 ,such plan shall provide that 
payments are made in accordance with the
 requirements under section #ccjf7v7 of 
the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf4  
7#b7 ,limitations on plans  7,a7        
,general payment limitations ,a         
short-time compensation plan approved by
 a ,state shall not permit the payment  
of short-time compensation to an        

individual by the ,state during a       
benefit year in excess of #bf times the 
amount of regular compensation          
7including dependents' allowances7 under
 the ,state law payable to such         
individual for a week of total          
unemployment4  7,b7 ,employer           
limitations ,a short-time compensation  
plan approved by a ,state shall not     
provide payments to an individual if    
such individual is employed by the      
participating employer on a seasonal1   
temporary1 or intermittent basis4  7#c7 
,employer payment of costs ,any         
short-time compensation plan entered    
into by an employer must provide that   
the employer will pay the ,state an     
amount equal to one-half of the amount  
of short-time compensation paid under   
such plan4 ,such amount shall be        
deposited in the ,state's unemployment  
fund and shall not be used for purposes 
of calculating an employer's            
contribution rate under section         
#ccjc7;a77#a7 of the ,internal ,revenue 

,code of #aihf4  7c7 ,payments to       
,states  7#a7 ,in general ,there shall  
be paid to each ,state with an agreement
 under this section an amount equal to--
 7,a7 one-half of the amount of         
short-time compensation paid to         
individuals by the ,state pursuant to   
such agreement2 and  7,b7 any additional
 administrative expenses incurred by the
 ,state by reason of such agreement 7as 
determined by the ,secretary74  7#b7    
,terms of payments ,payments made to a  
,state under paragraph 7#a7 shall be    
payable by way of reimbursement in such 
amounts as the ,secretary estimates the 
,state will be entitled to receive under
 this section for each calendar month1  
reduced or increased1 as the case may   
be1 by any amount by which the          
,secretary finds that the ,secretary's  
estimates for any prior calendar month  
were greater or less than the amounts   
which should have been paid to the      
,state4 ,such estimates may be made on  
the basis of such statistical1 sampling1

 or other method as may be agreed upon  
by the ,secretary and the ,state agency 
of the ,state involved4  7#c7 ,funding  
,there are appropriated1 out of moneys  
in the ,treasury not otherwise          
appropriated1 such sums as may be       
necessary for purposes of carrying out  
this section4  7#d7 ,certifications ,the
 ,secretary shall from time to time     
certify to the ,secretary of the        
,treasury for payment to each ,state the
 sums payable to such ,state under this 
section4  7d7 ,applicability during a   
public health emergency and for #a year 
after the end of such emergency  7#a7   
,in general ,subject to paragraph 7#b71 
after an agreement is entered into under
 this section1 such agreement shall     
apply1 with respect to an area1 to weeks
 of unemployment-- 7,a7 beginning on or 
after the date of the declaration of a  
public health emergency for the area2   
and  7,b7 ending on or before the date  
that is #a year after the date of the   
termination of such declaration for such

 area4  7#b7 ,termination ,no payments  
shall be made under an agreement under  
this section for weeks of unemployment  
beginning on or after the date that is  
#b years after the date of enactment of 
this ,act4  7e7 ,special rule ,if a     
,state has entered into an agreement    
under this section and subsequently     
enacts a ,state law providing for the   
payment of short-time compensation under
 a short-time compensation program that 
meets the definition of such a program  
under section #ccjf7v7 of the ,internal 
,revenue ,code of #aihf1 the ,state--   
7#a7 shall not be eligible for payments 
under this section for weeks of         
unemployment beginning after the        
effective date of such ,state law2 and  
7#b7 shall be eligible to receive       
payments under the provisions of section
 #b after the effective date of such    
,state law4  7f7 ,definitions ,in this  
section3 7#a7 ,public health emergency  
,the term public health emergency means 
a public health emergency declared for  

an area by-- 7,a7 the ,secretary of     
,health and ,human ,services under      
section #cai of the ,public ,health     
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d72 or
  7,b7 a ,state public health official  
with the authority to declare such an   
emergency for the area4  7#b7 ,secretary
 ,the term ,secretary means the         
,secretary of ,labor4  7#c7 ,state2     
,state agency2 ,state law ,the terms    
,state1 ,state agency1 and ,state law   
have the meanings given those terms in  
section #bje of the ,federal-,state     
,extended ,unemployment ,compensation   
,act of #aigj 7#bf ,u4,s4,c4 #ccjd      
note74  #d4 ,assistance and guidance in 
implementing short-time compensation    
programs  7a7 ,in general ,in order to  
assist ,states in establishing1         
qualifying1 and implementing short-time 
compensation programs 7as defined in    
section #ccjf7v7 of the ,internal       
,revenue ,code of #aihf71 the ,secretary
 of ,labor 7in this section referred to 
as the ,secretary7 shall-- 7#a7 develop 

model legislative language which may be 
used by ,states in developing and       
enacting such programs and periodically 
review and revise such model legislative
 language2  7#b7 provide technical      
assistance and guidance in developing1  
enacting1 and implementing such         
programs2 and  7#c7 establish reporting 
requirements for ,states1 including     
reporting on-- 7,a7 the number of       
estimated averted layoffs2  7,b7 the    
number of participating employers and   
workers2 and  7,c7 such other items as  
the ,secretary of ,labor determines are 
appropriate4  7b7 ,model language and   
guidance ,the model language and        
guidance developed under subsection 7a7 
shall allow sufficient flexibility by   
,states and participating employers     
while ensuring accountability and       
program integrity4  7c7 ,consultation   
,in developing the model legislative    
language and guidance under subsection  
7a71 and in order to meet the           
requirements of subsection 7b71 the     

,secretary shall consult with employers1
 labor organizations1 ,state workforce  
agencies1 and other program experts4