Summary#
This bill updates how unemployment benefits work. It makes extended benefits fully federally funded, changes the triggers that let states provide extended weeks, and allows more weeks during high unemployment. It raises minimum rules for regular benefits (for example, a floor of 26 weeks and a minimum replacement rate), removes the waiting week, and clarifies rules for part-time work, temporary assignments, and who counts as an employee. The bill creates a dependents' allowance (starting at $25 per dependent in 2027, adjusted by CPI), a new weekly jobseeker allowance (starting at $250 in 2027, adjusted by CPI), and accounts that store those allowance amounts and can be augmented when unemployment is high. It also creates emergency enhanced unemployment pay during declared public-health or disaster emergencies, requires full federal reimbursement for many new payments, and requires the Labor Secretary to issue regulations for several programs.
What it means for you#
- If you lose work, you may get more weeks of extended benefits when unemployment is high.
- Regular unemployment rules would set minimums: at least 26 weeks and a minimum weekly benefit based on at least 75% of your best quarter divided by 13.
- The maximum weekly benefit could not be less than two-thirds of a State's average weekly wage (as set annually).
- There would be no waiting week: benefits may begin immediately for an otherwise eligible first week.
- Part-time workers may be eligible and can claim partial weeks; some hours thresholds and earnings disregards are specified.
- Dependents' allowance and a jobseeker allowance provide extra weekly payments; both amounts are fixed for 2027 and rise with CPI afterward.
- Victims of qualifying violence or harassment and people who left jobs for certain "compelling reasons" can qualify more easily under the bill's rules.
- States would get federal reimbursement for many of these payments; the bill also allows portability of some extended benefits between states.
Expenses#
No publicly available information on total estimated federal or state costs. The bill does specify funding mechanisms and payment rules:
- Extended benefits and jobseeker allowances are to be paid to States and reimbursed at 100 percent by the federal government.
- Emergency enhanced unemployment compensation would be fully reimbursed and funded by appropriations from the general fund.
- Payments are deposited in State accounts in the Unemployment Trust Fund and may be withdrawn for dependents' allowances and jobseeker allowances as authorized.
- The bill sets specific per-person payment amounts in law (for example, $25 per dependent in 2027 and $250 weekly jobseeker allowance in 2027) and ties later increases to the Consumer Price Index.
Proponents' View#
No publicly available information.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.