S. 3379: Expedited Access to Reemployment Learning Yields Benefits for Workers Act

The **Expedited Access to Reemployment Learning Yields Benefits for Workers Act**, also known as the **EARLY Benefits for Workers Act**, aims to make changes to the way states can use grant funds for reemployment services and eligibility assessments under the Social Security Act.

Key Provisions of the Bill

• Funding Flexibility: States can use up to 20% of their grant funds (or up to $3 million) to offer reemployment services and assessment tools to individuals as soon as they file their initial claims for regular unemployment compensation.
• Eligibility Determination: If a claimant does not participate in the early reemployment services, it cannot be the sole reason for denying their initial claim for support. This means the claimant won't be penalized for not engaging with these services within the first week after filing their claim.
• Subsequent Ineligibility: If a claimant receives services and is later determined to be ineligible for compensation, they will stop receiving those reemployment services unless other funding sources are available. Furthermore, states will not be penalized for providing services to a claimant who is later found ineligible, nor will they need to return any funds used for those services prior to the eligibility determination.
• Clarification of Expenditures: The bill clarifies that funds used for early interventions can still count towards meeting spending requirements in other programs, as long as the expenditures meet specified criteria.

Implementation Timeline

The changes enacted by this bill would take effect immediately upon its enactment, allowing states to quickly modify their grant allocation and reemployment service procedures.

Relevant Companies