,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bhfe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bg1
 #bjba,mr4 ,wyden introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,finance 
,a ,,bill  ,to improve the unemployment 
insurance program4  #a4 ,short title2   
table of contents  7a7 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,unemployment ,insurance ,improvement   
,act4  7b7 ,table of contents ,the table
 of contents of this ,act is as follows3
 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of       
contents4,sec4 #b4 ,floor on the number 
of weeks4,sec4 #c4 ,base period4,sec4   
#d4 ,minimum level of prior             
employment4,sec4 #e4 ,part-time         
work4,sec4 #f4 ,access to benefits4  #b4
 ,floor on the number of weeks  7a7 ,in 
general ,section #ccjd7;a7 of the       
,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf is    
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#ah71 by   
striking and at the end2  7#b7 by       
redesignating paragraph 7#ai7 as        

paragraph 7#bj72 and  7#c7 by inserting 
after paragraph 7#ah7 the following new 
paragraph3  7#ai7 the minimum duration  
of benefits is at least #bf weeks and no
 variable duration formula that provides
 for maximum weeks of benefits of fewer 
than #bf weeks is used1 or1 in the case 
of a ,state that uses a maximum benefit 
entitlement1 an individual's maximum    
benefit entitlement may not be less than
 #bf times the individual's weekly      
benefit amount2 and  4  7b7 ,effective  
date ,the amendments made by subsection 
7a7 shall apply to weeks of unemployment
 beginning on or after the earlier of-- 
7#a7 the date the ,state changes its    
statutes1 regulations1 or policies in   
order to comply with such amendments2 or
  7#b7 ,january #a1 #bjbd4  #c4 ,base   
period  7a7 ,in general ,section        
#ccjd7;a7 of the ,internal ,revenue     
,code of #aihf1 as amended by section   
#b1 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph      
7#ai71 by striking and at the end2  7#b7
 by redesignating paragraph 7#bj7 as    

paragraph 7#ba72 and  7#c7 by inserting 
after paragraph 7#ai7 the following new 
paragraphs3  7#bj7 the ,state law-- 7,a7
 uses a base period that consists of at 
least #d completed calendar quarters    
preceding the effective date of the     
claim and includes the most recently    
completed calendar quarter before the   
start of the benefit year for purposes  
of determining eligibility for          
unemployment compensation2 or  7,b7     
provides that1 in the case of an        
individual who would not otherwise be   
eligible for unemployment compensation  
under the ,state law because of the use 
of a base period that does not meet the 
requirements described in subparagraph  
7,a71 eligibility is determined using a 
base period that consists of at least #d
 completed calendar quarters preceding  
the effective date of the claim and     
includes the most recently completed    
calendar quarter before the start of the
 benefit year2 and  4  7b7 ,effective   
date ,the amendments made by subsection 

7a7 shall apply to weeks of unemployment
 beginning on or after the earlier of-- 
7#a7 the date the ,state changes its    
statutes1 regulations1 or policies in   
order to comply with such amendments2 or
  7#b7 ,january #a1 #bjbd4  #d4 ,minimum
 level of prior employment  7a7         
,requirement  7#a7 ,in general ,section 
#ccjd7;a7 of the ,internal ,revenue     
,code of #aihf1 as amended by sections  
#b and #c1 is amended-- 7,a7 in         
paragraph 7#bj71 by striking and at the 
end2  7,b7 by redesignating paragraph   
7#ba7 as paragraph 7#bb72 and  7,c7 by  
inserting after paragraph 7#bj7 the     
following new paragraph3  7#ba7         
compensation is not denied to an        
otherwise eligible individual if the    
individual earned at least #a1jjj in    
covered wages during the highest quarter
 of the base period and at least #a1ejj 
in covered wages during the base period2
 and  4  7#b7 ,state may reduce minimum 
thresholds ,nothing in paragraph 7#ba7  
of section #ccjd7;a7 of the ,internal   

,revenue ,code of #aihf1 as added by    
paragraph 7#a71 shall preclude a ,state 
from reducing the dollar thresholds     
described in such paragraph 7#bb74  7b7 
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
subsection 7a7 shall apply to weeks of  
unemployment beginning on or after the  
earlier of-- 7#a7 the date the ,state   
changes its statutes1 regulations1 or   
policies in order to comply with such   
amendments2 or  7#b7 ,january #a1 #bjbd4
  #e4 ,part-time work  7a7 ,in general  
,section #ccjd7;a7 of the ,internal     
,revenue ,code of #aihf1 as amended by  
sections #b1 #c1 and #d1 is amended--   
7#a7 in paragraph 7#ba71 by striking and
 at the end2  7#b7 by redesignating     
paragraph 7#bb7 as paragraph 7#be72 and 
7#c7 by inserting after paragraph 7#ba7 
the following new paragraphs3  7#bb7 an 
individual is not denied unemployment   
compensation under any ,state law       
provisions relating to ability to work1 
availability for work1 active search for
 work1 or refusal to accept work1 solely

 on the basis of the number of hours of 
work such individual is seeking1        
provided that the individual is seeking 
at least the lesser of-- 7,a7 #bj hours 
of work per week2 or  7,b7 a number of  
hours of work per week equal to at least
 one half of the typical number of hours
 worked per week in the individual's    
base period2  7#bc7 an individual may   
claim benefits for a week of partial    
unemployment1 including in circumstances
 where an individual has had their hours
 reduced or performs part-time work     
while continuing to search for          
additional part-time or full-time work1 
if their earnings are less than the     
individual's weekly benefit amount2     
7#bd7 when determining the weekly       
benefit amount for an individual        
claiming a benefit for a week of partial
 unemployment1 the ,state disregards1 at
 a minimum1 earnings equal to #a_/c of  
the individual's weekly benefit amount  
in computing the individual's weekly    
benefit for partial unemployment2 and  4

  7b7 ,effective date ,the amendments   
made by subsection 7a7 shall apply to   
weeks of unemployment beginning on or   
after the earlier of-- 7#a7 the date the
 ,state changes its statutes1           
regulations1 or policies in order to    
comply with such amendments2 or  7#b7   
,january #a1 #bjbd4  #f4 ,access to     
benefits ,section #cjc of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ejc7 is  
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subsection3  7n7 ,access  
to benefits  7#a7 ,in general ,not later
 than ,january #a1 #bjbd1 the ,state    
agency charged with the administration  
of the ,state law shall1 in accordance  
with standards established by the       
,secretary-- 7,a7 require that employers
 in the ,state provide information      
regarding claim-filing for unemployment 
compensation to employees upon          
separation from employment2  7,b7 have  
in place methods for employers to notify
 the ,state workforce agency of         
employees who may apply for unemployment

 compensation due to short-term layoffs1
 business shutdowns1 partial            
unemployment1 and short-time            
compensation2  7,c7 ensure that any     
online claim-filing system used by the  
,state-- 7i7 can be readily understood  
and used by the vast majority of        
applicants and claimants1 including     
individuals with limited ,english       
proficiency1 individuals with           
disabilities1 older individuals1 and    
individuals with literacy challenges2   
7ii7 is available in any language spoken
 by more than #a percent of the ,state's
 population 7with such translations     
completed by human translators rather   
than translation software72  7iii7 is   
accessible and optimized for all        
commonly used desktop computers1        
tablets1 and mobile devices and         
operating systems such that any features
 of the online claim filing component   
7such as the ability to upload          
documentation7 that are available in the
 desktop version of the online claim    

filing component are also available in  
the tablet and mobile versions2  7iv7   
allows for electronic submission of     
documentation required to support a     
claim1 including the ability of         
applicants and claimants to scan or     
photograph and submit documentation     
using a tablet or mobile device2  7v7 is
 available #bd hours a day1 #g days a   
week1 with the exception of scheduled   
and emergency maintenance that shall be 
conducted1 to the extent practicable1 at
 nonpeak hours2  7vi7 provides          
self-service account recovery that can  
be completed online2 and  7vii7 deploys 
multiple methods of communication with  
applicants and claimants1 such as short 
message service 7,,sms7 message1 email1 
postal mail1 live chat1 or chatbots2 and
  7,d7 ensure that alternate means of   
claim filing are available for          
individuals who are unable to file      
through the ,state's online claim-filing
 system4  7#b7 ,enforcement ,whenever   
the ,secretary of ,labor1 after         

reasonable notice and opportunity for   
hearing to the ,state agency charged    
with the administration of the ,state   
law1 finds that there is a failure to   
comply substantially with the           
requirements of paragraph 7#a71 the     
,secretary of ,labor shall notify such  
,state agency that further payments will
 not be made to the ,state until the    
,secretary of ,labor is satisfied that  
there is no longer any such failure4    
,until the ,secretary of ,labor is so   
satisfied1 such ,secretary shall make no
 future certification to the ,secretary 
of the ,treasury with respect to the    
,state4  4