,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cdig ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #ab1 #bjbj,mr4 ,peters 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,schumer1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,tester1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to provide unemployment assistance to individuals affected by ,,covid-#ai1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,pandemic ,unemployment ,assistance ,act4 #b4 ,pandemic ,unemployment ,assistance 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,,covid-#ai ,the term ,,covid-#ai means the #bjai ,novel ,coronavirus or #bjai-n,co,v4 7#b7 ,,covid-#ai public health emergency ,the term ,,covid-#ai public health emergency means the public health emergency declared by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services on ,january #bg1 #bjbj1 with respect to the #bjai ,novel ,coronavirus4 7#c7 ,covered individual ,the term covered individual-- 7,a7 means an individual who-- 7i7 is not eligible for regular compensation under ,state or ,federal law1 including an individual who has exhausted all rights to regular unemployment under ,state or ,federal law2 and 7ii7 provides self-certification that the individual is otherwise able to work and available for work within the meaning of applicable ,state law1 except the individual is unemployed1 partially unemployed1 or unable or unavailable to work because-- 7,i7 the individual has been diagnosed with ,,covid-#ai or has reason to believe the individual has been exposed to ,,covid-#ai2 7,,ii7 a member of the individual's household has been diagnosed with ,,covid-#ai2 7,,iii7 the individual needs to provide care for a family member or a member of the individual's household who has been diagnosed with ,,covid-#ai2 7,,iv7 the school or day care the individual's child attends is closed due to a ,,covid-#ai outbreak and the individual is unable to find alternative childcare2 7,v7 the individual is unable to reach the place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of a ,,covid-#ai outbreak2 7,,vi7 the individual is unable to reach the place of employment because the individual self-quarantines to protect themselves or others as a direct result of a ,,covid-#ai outbreak2 7,,vii7 the individual was scheduled to begin employment and is unable to reach the job as a direct result of a ,,covid-#ai outbreak2 7,,viii7 the individual has become the breadwinner or major support for a household because the head of the household has died as a direct result of ,,covid-#ai2 or 7,,ix7 the individual meets any additional criteria established by the ,secretary for unemployment assistance under this section2 and 7,b7 does not include-- 7i7 an individual who has the ability to telework with pay2 or 7ii7 an individual who is receiving paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits1 regardless of whether the individual meets a qualification described in subclause 7,i7 through 7,,ix7 of subparagraph 7,a77i74 7#d7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,labor4 7#e7 ,state ,the term ,state includes the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 ,federated ,states of ,micronesia1 ,republic of the ,marshall ,islands1 and the ,trust ,territory of the ,pacific ,islands4 7b7 ,assistance for unemployment as a result of ,,covid-#ai ,beginning on the date of enactment of this ,act and ending on the date that is #bf weeks after the date on which the ,,covid-#ai public health emergency expires1 the ,secretary shall provide to any covered individual unemployment benefit assistance while such individual is unemployed1 partially unemployed1 or unable to work for the weeks of such unemployment with respect to which the individual is not entitled to any other unemployment compensation 7as that term is defined in section #he7;b7 of title #bf1 ,united ,states ,code7 or waiting period credit4 7c7 ,requirement 7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71 the assistance authorized under subsection 7b7 shall be available to a covered individual-- 7,a7 for weeks of unemployment1 partial unemployment1 or inability to work caused by ,,covid-#ai beginning on or after ,january #bg1 #bjbj2 and 7,b7 as long as the covered individual's unemployment1 partial unemployment1 or inability to work caused by ,,covid-#ai continues4 7#b7 ,limitation on duration of assistance ,the total number of weeks for which a covered individual may receive assistance under this section shall not exceed #bf weeks and such total shall include any week for which the covered individual received regular unemployment compensation under any ,federal or ,state law4 7#c7 ,assistance for unemployment before date of enactment ,the ,secretary shall establish a process for making assistance under this section available for weeks beginning on or after ,january #bg1 #bjbj1 and before the date of enactment of this ,act4 7d7 ,amount of assistance 7#a7 ,in general ,the assistance authorized under subsection 7b7 for a week of unemployment1 partial unemployment1 or inability to work shall be equal to the weekly benefit amount authorized under the unemployment compensation law of the ,state where the covered individual is employed1 except that the amount may not be less than the minimum weekly benefit amount described in section #fbe4f of title #bj1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any successor thereto4 7#b7 ,calculations of amounts for certain covered individuals ,in the case of a covered individual who is self-employed1 who lives in a territory described in subsection 7c7 or 7d7 of section #fbe4f of title #bj1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or who would not otherwise qualify for unemployment compensation under ,state law1 the assistance authorized under subsection 7b7 for a week of unemployment shall be calculated in accordance with section #fbe4f of title #bj1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any successor thereto4 7e7 ,waiver of ,state requirement ,notwithstanding ,state law1 for purposes of assistance authorized under this section1 compensation under this ,act shall be made to an individual otherwise eligible for such compensation without any waiting period4 7f7 ,agreements with ,states 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall provide the assistance authorized under subsection 7b7 through agreements with ,states which1 in the judgment of the ,secretary1 have an adequate system for administering such assistance through existing ,state agencies4 7#b7 ,payments to ,states ,there shall be paid to each ,state which has entered into an agreement under this subsection an amount equal to #ajj percent of-- 7,a7 the total amount of assistance provided 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 ,secretary71 including any administrative expenses necessary to facilitate processing of applications for assistance under this section online or by telephone rather than in-person4 7#c7 ,terms of payments ,sums payable to any ,state by reason of such ,state's having an agreement under this subsection shall be payable1 either in advance or by way of reimbursement 7as determined by the ,secretary71 in such amounts as the ,secretary estimates the ,state will be entitled to receive under this subsection for each calendar month1 reduced or increased1 as the case may be1 by any amount by which the ,secretary finds that his 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 7g7 ,funding 7#a7 ,assistance 7,a7 ,in general ,funds in the extended unemployment compensation account 7as established by section #ije7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aaje7;a77 of the ,unemployment ,trust ,fund 7as established by section #ijd7;a7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aajd7;a77 shall be used to make payments to ,states pursuant to subsection 7f77#b77;,a74 7,b7 ,transfer of funds ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall transfer from the general fund of the ,treasury 7from funds not otherwise appropriated7 to the extended unemployment compensation account such sums as the ,secretary of ,labor estimates to be necessary to make payments described in subparagraph 7,a74 ,there are appropriated from the general fund of the ,treasury1 without fiscal year limitation1 the sums referred to in the preceding sentence and such sums shall not be required to be repaid4 7#b7 ,administrative expenses 7,a7 ,in general ,funds in the employment security administration account 7as established by section #ija7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aaje7;a77 of the ,unemployment ,trust ,fund 7as established by section #ijd7;a7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aajd7;a77 shall be used to make payments to ,states pursuant to subsection 7f77#b77;,b74 7,b7 ,transfer of funds ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall transfer from the general fund of the ,treasury 7from funds not otherwise appropriated7 to the employment security administration account such sums as the ,secretary of ,labor estimates to be necessary to make payments described in subparagraph 7,a74 ,there are appropriated from the general fund of the ,treasury1 without fiscal year limitation1 the sums referred to in the preceding sentence and such sums shall not be required to be repaid4 7#c7 ,certifications ,the ,secretary of ,labor shall from time to time certify to the ,secretary of the ,treasury for payment to each ,state the sums payable to such ,state under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b74 7h7 ,emergency designation 7#a7 ,in general ,the amounts provided by this ,act are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in ,senate ,in the ,senate1 this ,act is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4