Project Vote Smart

Legislation - Bill Passed (House) - July 1, 2010 (Key vote)

Title: Unemployment Benefits Extension

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the filing deadline for an extension of unemployment benefits from June 2, 2010 to November 30, 2010, and amends the termination date of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program from November 6, 2010 to April 30, 2011.

Highlight: -Requires states to determine whether an individual is eligible for emergency unemployment compensation or regular compensation if the individual meets the following criteria (Sec. 3):

-Has been eligible for emergency unemployment compensation; -The benefit year for which the individual was eligible for emergency unemployment compensation has expired; -Has remaining entitlement to emergency unemployment compensation with respect to that benefit year; and -Would qualify for a new benefit year in which the weekly benefit amount of regular compensation is at least either $100 or 25 percent less than the weekly benefit in the previous benefit year.

-Prohibits states from reducing the average weekly benefit amount of regular compensation payable during the period of the agreement occurring on or after June 2, 1010 to an amount that is less than the average weekly benefit amount of regular compensation which would otherwise have been payable during such period, as in effect on June 2, 2010, in order to ensure eligibility for emergency unemployment compensation (Sec. 4). -Requires states to establish "reasonable procedures" that ensure each of the following (Sec. 5):

-Benefits are not provided to any individual on a current list of known or suspected terrorists; -Benefits are not provided to any individual convicted of a sex offense against a minor (42 USC 16911); and -Benefits are not provided to undocumented immigrants.

-Establishes emergency designations for sections 2 and 3 of this Act, related to extending unemployment benefits, for the purposes of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (Sec. 6).

Legislation - Bill Failed (House) - June 29, 2010

Note:

NOTE: THIS VOTE WAS TAKEN UNDER A SUSPENSION OF THE RULES TO CUT OFF DEBATE EARLY AND VOTE TO PASS THE BILL, THEREBY REQUIRING A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY FOR PASSAGE.

Legislation - Introduced (House) - June 28, 2010

Title: Unemployment Benefits Extension