Payments to State Agencies and Railroad Retirement Board (f) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to pay out of the Fund to any State agency such amount as it may duly requisition, not exceeding the amount standing to the account of such State agency at the time of such payment. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to make such payments out of the railroad unemployment insurance account for the payment of benefits, and out of the railroad unemployment insurance administration fund for the payment of administrative expenses, as the Railroad Retirement Board may duly certify, not exceeding the amount standing to the credit of such account or such fund, as the case may be, at the time of such payment. Federal Unemployment Account (g) There is hereby established in the Unemployment Trust Fund a Federal unemployment account. EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION ACCOUNT 13 Establishment of Account SEC. 905. [42 U.S.C. 1105] (a) There is hereby established in the Unemployment Trust Fund an extended unemployment compensation account. For the purposes provided for in section 904(e), such account shall be maintained as a separate book account. Transfers to Account (b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer (as of the close of each month) from the employment security administration account to the extended unemployment compensation account established by subsection (a), an amount (determined by such Secretary) equal to 20 percent of the amount by which (A) the transfers to the employment security administration account pursuant to section 901(b)(2) during such month, exceed (B) the payments during such month from the employment security administration account pursuant to section 901 (b)(3) and (d). If for any such month the payments referred to in subparagraph (B) exceed the transfers referred to in subparagraph (A), proper adjustments shall be made in the amounts subsequently transferred. (2) Whenever the Secretary of the Treasury determines pursuant to section 901(f) that there is an excess in the employment security administration account as of the close of any fiscal year beginning after June 30, 1972, there shall be transferred (as of the beginning of the succeeding fiscal year) to the extended unemployment compensation account the total amount of such excess or so much thereof as is required to increase the amount in the extended unemployment compensation account to whichever of the following is the greater: (A) $750,000,000, or 13 See Vol. II, P.L. 97-248, §604(a), with respect to an appropriation of funds to assist States in meeting administrative costs. (B) the amount (determined by the Secretary of Labor and certified by him to the Secretary of the Treasury) equal to 0.5 percent of the total wages subject (determined without any limitation on amount) to contributions under all State unemployment compensation laws for the calendar year ending during the fiscal year for which the excess is determined. (3) The Secretary of the Treasury shall make no transfer pursuant to paragraph (1) as of the close of any month if he determines that the amount in the extended unemployment compensation account is equal to (or in excess of) the limitation provided in paragraph (2). Transfers to State Accounts (c) Amounts in the extended unemployment compensation account shall be available for transfer to the accounts of the States in the Unemployment Trust Fund as provided in section 204(e) of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 14. Advances to Extended Unemployment Compensation Account and Repayment (d) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, without fiscal year limitation, to the extended unemployment compensation account, as repayable advances, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970. Amounts appropriated as repayable advances shall be repaid by transfers from the extended unemployment compensation account to the general fund of the Treasury, at such times as the amount in the extended unemployment compensation account is determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, to be adequate for such purpose. Repayments under the preceding sentence shall be made whenever the Secretary of the Treasury (after consultation with the Secretary of Labor) determines that the amount then in the account exceeds the amount necessary to meet the anticipated payments from the account during the next 3 months. Any amount transferred as a repayment under this subsection shall be credited against, and shall operate to reduce, any balance of advances repayable under this subsection. Amounts appropriated as repayable advances for purposes of this subsection shall bear interest at a rate equal to the average rate of interest, computed as of the end of the calendar month next preceding the date of such advance, borne by all interest bearing obligations of the United States then forming part of the public debt; except that in cases in which such average rate is not a multiple of one-eighth of 1 percent, the rate of interest shall be the multiple of one-eighth of 1 percent next lower than such average rate. UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION RESEARCH PROGRAM SEC. 906. [42 U.S.C. 1106] (a) The Secretary of Labor shall (1) establish a continuing and comprehensive program of research to evaluate the unemployment compensation system. 14 See Vol. II, P.L. 91-373. Such research shall include, but not be limited to, a program of factual studies covering the role of unemployment compensation under varying patterns of unemployment including those in seasonal industries, the relationship between the unemployment compensation and other social insurance programs, the effect of State eligibility and disqualification provisions, the personal characteristics, family situations, employment background and experience of claimants, with the results of such studies to be made public; and (2) establish a program of research to develop information (which shall be made public) as to the effect and impact of extending coverage to excluded groups with first attention to agricultural labor. (b) To assist in the establishment and provide for the continuation of the comprehensive research program relating to the unemployment compensation system, there are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1971, and for each fiscal year thereafter, such sums, not to exceed $8,000,000, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. From the sums authorized to be appropriated by this subsection the Secretary may provide for the conduct of such research through grants or contracts. PERSONNEL TRAINING SEC. 907. [42 U.S.C. 1107] (a) In order to assist in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of administration of the unemployment compensation program by increasing the number of adequately trained personnel, the Secretary of Labor shall— (1) provide directly, through State agencies, or through contracts with institutions of higher education or other qualified agencies, organizations, or institutions, programs and courses designed to train individuals to prepare them, or improve their qualifications, for service in the administration of the unemployment compensation program, including claims determinations and adjudication, with such stipends and allowances as may be permitted under regulations of the Secretary; (2) develop training materials for and provide technical assistance to the State agencies in the operation of their training programs; (3) under such regulations as he may prescribe, award fellowships and traineeships to persons in the Federal-State employment security agencies, in order to prepare them or improve their qualifications for service in the administration of the unemployment compensation program. (b) The Secretary may, to the extent that he finds such action to be necessary, prescribe requirements to assure that any person receiving a fellowship, traineeship, stipend or allowance shall repay the costs thereof to the extent that such person fails to serve in the Federal-State employment security program for the period prescribed by the Secretary. The Secretary may relieve any individual of his obligation to so repay, in whole or in part, whenever and to the extent that such repayment would, in his judgment, be inequitable or would be contrary to the purposes of any of the programs established by this section. (c) The Secretary, with the concurrence of the State, may detail Federal employees to State unemployment compensation administration and the Secretary may concur in the detailing of State employees to the United States Department of Labor for temporary periods for training or for purposes of unemployment compensation administration, and the provisions of section 507 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 15 (79 Stat. 27) or any more general program of interchange enacted by a law amending, supplementing, or replacing section 507 shall apply to any such assignment. (d) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1971, and for each fiscal year thereafter such sums, not to exceed $5,000,000, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. ADVISORY COUNCIL ON UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION SEC. 908. [42 U.S.C. 1108] (a) ESTABLISHMENT.-Not later than February 1, 1992, and every 4th year thereafter, the Secretary of Labor shall establish an advisory council to be known as the Advisory Council on Unemployment Compensation (referred to in this section as the "Council"). (b) FUNCTION.-It shall be the function of each Council to evaluate the unemployment compensation program, including the purpose, goals, countercyclical effectiveness, coverage, benefit adequacy, trust fund solvency, funding of State administrative costs, administrative efficiency, and any other aspects of the program and to make recommendations for improvement. (c) MEMBERS.— (1) IN GENERAL.-Each Council shall consist of 11 members as follows: (A) 5 members appointed by the President, to include representatives of business, labor, State government, and the public. (B) 3 members appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, in consultation with the Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Finance of the Senate. (C) 3 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representative, in consultation with the Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. (2) QUALIFICATIONS.-In appointing members under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1), the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint— (A) 1 representative of the interests of business, (C) 1 representative of the interests of State govern ments. (3) VACANCIES.-A vacancy in any Council shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made. 15 See, instead, Vol. II, 5 U.S.C. 3371-3376. [P.L. 89-10, 79 Stat. 27, $507 was classified to 20 U.S.C. 867. P.L. 91-230, $143(a)(3), redesignated $507 as $553; $553 was classified to 20 U.S.C. 869b. P.L. 91-648, 81 Stat. 1909, $403, repealed $553, effective January 5, 1971. P.L. 91-648, §402, approved January 5, 1971, amended chapter 33 of Title 5, U.S.Č., to include 5 U.S.C. 3371-3376, “Subchapter VI, Assignments to and from States". ] (4) Chairman.-The President shall appoint the Chairman of the Council from among its members. (d) STAFF AND OTHER ASSISTANCE. (1) IN GENERAL.-Each council may engage any technical assistance (including actuarial services) required by the Council to carry out its functions under this section. (2) ASSISTANCE FROM SECRETARY OF LABOR.-The Secretary of Labor shall provide each Council with any staff, office facilities, and other assistance, and any data prepared by the Department of Labor, required by the Council to carry out its functions under this section. (e) COMPENSATION.-Each member of any Council (1) shall be entitled to receive compensation at the rate of pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such member is engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the Council, and (2) while engaged in the performance of such duties away from such member's home or regular place of business, shall be allowed travel expenses (including per diem in lieu of subsistence) as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for persons in the Government employed intermittently. (f) REPORT.— (1) IN GENERAL.-Not later than February 1 of the third year following the year in which any Council is required to be established under subsection (a), the Council shall submit to the President and the Congress a report setting forth the findings and recommendations of the Council as a result of its evaluation of the unemployment compensation program under this section. (2) REPORT OF FIRST COUNCIL.-The Council shall include in its report required to be submitted by February 1, 1995, the Council's findings and recommendations with respect to determining eligibility for extended unemployment benefits on the basis of unemployment statistics for regions, States, or subdivisions of States. FEDERAL EMPLOYEES COMPENSATION ACCOUNT 16 SEC. 909. [42 U.S.C. 1109] There is hereby established in the Unemployment Trust Fund a Federal Employees Compensation Account which shall be used for the purposes specified in section 8509 of title 5, United States Code. For the purposes provided for in section 904(e), such account shall be maintained as a separate book account. BORROWING BETWEEN FEDERAL ACCOUNTS SEC. 910. [42 U.S.C. 1110] (a) IN GENERAL.-Whenever the Secretary of the Treasury (after consultation with the Secretary of Labor) determines that (1) the amount in the employment security administration account, Federal unemployment account, or extended unem 16 See Vol. II, P.L. 97-362, §202(b)(2), with respect to the treatment of previously appropriated funds. |