S. 2948: Help Federal Employees During Shutdowns Act

This bill, known as the Help Federal Employees During Shutdowns Act, aims to amend the Social Security Act to provide unemployment compensation benefits to certain federal employees during government shutdowns. Here are the main points regarding what the bill proposes:

Key Provisions of the Bill

• Unemployment Benefits for Federal Employees: The bill mandates that state unemployment compensation laws must allow "excepted Federal employees" to apply for and receive unemployment benefits during periods of government shutdowns when they are not receiving their regular pay.
• Definition of Excepted Federal Employees: An "excepted Federal employee" is defined as a federal employee who is required to perform emergency work during a shutdown but is not receiving pay due to the lapse in appropriations.
• Repayment Conditions: If an excepted Federal employee receives payment for emergency work, they must repay any unemployment benefits they received for that period to the state. If they do not repay, the compensation will be treated as an overpayment, and the state can seek to recover those funds.
• Funding for States: The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury would provide states with 100% of the amount of unemployment compensation paid to excepted Federal employees. This includes any additional administrative costs incurred by the states related to processing these claims.
• Source of Funding: Payments to the states are to be made from the Unemployment Trust Fund, which is established under the Social Security Act.

Overall, the bill seeks to ensure that certain federal employees, who are expected to work during government shutdowns but may not receive their regular paycheck, can access unemployment benefits to provide them financial support during these periods. It establishes clear guidelines for how states must adjust their unemployment laws in response to these situations and outlines the funding mechanism to support these changes.

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