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Chained Consumer Price Index: What is it and Would it be Appropriate for Cost-of-Living Adjustments? [June 12, 2013]
"The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes two important measures of inflation: the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). (Hereinafter in this report, the CPI-W and CPI-U will be referred to collectively as the standard CPI.) The standard CPI might seem like just another economic indicator, but it is a powerful policy lever. Because the CPI-W is used to calculate annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to Social Security retirement benefits and the CPI-U is used to calculate annual inflation adjustments to personal income tax brackets, for example, changing the basis of the adjustments could substantially affect outlays and revenues. Since August 2002, BLS has published a supplemental measure known as the Chained Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U). The aim of the C-CPI-U is to produce a measure of change in consumer prices that is free of substitution bias. One of the difficulties in estimating cost-of-living changes is that consumers often alter their buying patterns in response to changing relative prices. In other words, consumers tend to buy more of the goods and services whose prices are rising slower than average and fewer of the goods and services whose prices are rising faster than average. Substitution is believed to insulate consumers from the full effect of rising prices on maintaining their standard of living. Because the CPI-W and CPI-U do not entirely account for substitution, they overstate the impact of inflation on consumer well-being. As a result of better reflecting consumer substitution, the C-CPI-U has typically increased to a lesser extent than either the CPI-U or CPI-W. This relationship has prompted calls for switching to the C-CPI-U when calculating automatic adjustments to inflation-indexed federal programs and individual tax provisions to slow growth in the budget deficit. The 2010 'Simpson-Bowles' report recommended government-wide replacement of the CPI-W and CPI-U with the chained CPI, for example. In April 2013, a modified version of the Chained CPI-U proposal was included in President Obama's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.
2013-06-12
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Trade Preferences for Developing Countries and the WTO [Updated September 25, 2006]
"World Trade Organization (WTO) Members must grant immediate and unconditional most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment to the products of other Members with respect to tariffs and other trade-related measures. Programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), under which developed countries grant preferential tariff rates to developing country products, are facially inconsistent with this obligation because they accord goods of some countries more favorable tariff treatment than that accorded to goods of other WTO Members. Because such programs have been viewed as trade-expanding, however, Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) provided a legal basis for one-way tariff preferences and certain other preferential arrangements in a 1979 decision known as the Enabling Clause. In 2004, the WTO Appellate Body ruled that the Clause allows developed countries to offer different treatment to developing countries, but only if identical treatment is available to all similarly situated GSP beneficiaries. Where WTO Members' preference programs have provided expanded benefits, the WTO has on occasion waived Members' WTO obligations. A number of trade preference bills have been introduced in the 109th Congress, including proposed extensions of the GSP and Andean preference programs, each of which is set to expire in 2006. Among these are H.R. 5070, which would extend the GSP and Andean preferences for one year and expand and extend textile benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); H.R. 6076 and S. 3904, which would extend until 2008 the GSP, Andean preferences, and a third-country fabric provision for lesser-developed beneficiaries expiring in 2007; and H.R. 6142, which would extend the GSP and the AGOA third-country fabric provision until 2008 and expand textile and apparel benefits for Haiti. This report will be updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Jeanne J.
2006-09-25
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Trade Preferences for Developing Countries and the WTO [Updated January 8, 2007]
"World Trade Organization (WTO) Members must grant immediate and unconditional most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment to the products of other Members with respect to tariffs and other trade-related measures. Programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), under which developed countries grant preferential tariff rates to developing country products, are facially inconsistent with this obligation because they accord goods of some countries more favorable tariff treatment than that accorded to goods of other WTO Members. Because such programs have been viewed as trade-expanding, however, Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) provided a legal basis for one-way tariff preferences and certain other preferential arrangements in a 1979 decision known as the Enabling Clause. In 2004, the WTO Appellate Body ruled that the Clause allows developed countries to offer different treatment to developing countries in a GSP program, but only if identical treatment is available to all similarly situated GSP beneficiaries. Where WTO Members' preference programs have provided expanded benefits, Members (including the United States) have in many instances obtained WTO waivers. With the GSP and Andean preference programs set to expire at the end of 2006, Congress enacted legislation in December 2006 (P.L. 109-432) extending the GSP for two years and extending Andean preferences until June 30, 2007, with the possibility of conditional extension thereafter. The statute also extends until September 30, 2012, with amendments, a provision in the African Growth and Opportunity Act allowing lesserdeveloped beneficiary countries to receive duty-free benefits for apparel made with third country fabric or yarn and expands textile and apparel benefits for Haiti. This report will be updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Jeanne J.
2007-01-08
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Trade Preferences for Developing Countries and the WTO [Updated January 18, 2007]
"World Trade Organization (WTO) Members must grant immediate and unconditional most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment to the products of other Members with respect to tariffs and other trade-related measures. Programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), under which developed countries grant preferential tariff rates to developing country products, are facially inconsistent with this obligation because they accord goods of some countries more favorable tariff treatment than that accorded to goods of other WTO Members. Because such programs have been viewed as trade-expanding, however, Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) provided a legal basis for one-way tariff preferences and certain other preferential arrangements in a 1979 decision known as the Enabling Clause. In 2004, the WTO Appellate Body ruled that the Clause allows developed countries to offer different treatment to developing countries in a GSP program, but only if identical treatment is available to all similarly situated GSP beneficiaries. Where WTO Members' preference programs have provided expanded benefits, Members, including the United States, have in many instances obtained WTO waivers. With the GSP and Andean preference programs expiring at the end of 2006, Congress enacted legislation late in the 109th Congress (P.L. 109-432) extending the GSP for two years and extending Andean preferences until June 30, 2007, with conditional extension thereafter. The new statute also extends a third-country fabric provision in the African Growth and Opportunity Act and expands textile benefits for Haiti. As the GSP and Andean programs are now set to expire within the next two years, Congress may consider these programs as well as other preference proposals in the 110th Congress. This report will be updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Jeanne J.
2007-01-18
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Impact of Sequestration on Unemployment Insurance Benefits: Frequently Asked Questions [July 2, 2013]
"'Sequestration' refers to a process of automatic, largely across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently canceled to enforce certain budget policy goals. Most recently, sequestration was triggered by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; P.L. [Public Law] 112-25) and implemented on March 1, 2013 (delayed by P.L. 112-240). Some, but not all, types of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits are subject to reductions under the BCA sequester. Regular Unemployment Compensation (UC), Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX), and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) benefits are specifically exempt from the sequester reductions. UI payments from the Extended Benefit (EB) and Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) programs, however, are subject to the sequester reductions. States administer all types of UI benefits. Therefore, states are responsible for carrying out the sequester reduction in UI benefit payments. The amount and method by which a UI recipient's benefit is reduced varies by the state and by the date when the reduction begins. This report provides brief answers to some frequently asked questions regarding sequestration and unemployment insurance benefits."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-; Whittaker, Julie M.
2013-07-02
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Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) [September 14, 2005]
"The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program provides monetary assistance to individuals unemployed as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. DUA is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DUA is administered by the Department of Labor through each state's UC agency. In the 107th Congress, P.L. 107-154 was signed into law on March 25, 2002, extending the duration of DUA benefits from 26 to 39 weeks for victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the declared major disaster areas in New York and Virginia. This extension did not apply to any subsequent major disasters. This report also briefly describes legislation introduced in the 109th Congress (S. 1637). The report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.
2005-09-14
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Current Status of Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits: Permanent-Law Programs and COVID-19 Pandemic Response [Updated March 23, 2021]
From the Document: "The Unemployment Insurance (UI) system is constructed as a joint federal-state partnership, in which the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program and the UC benefit are the foundation of the UI system. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides oversight of state UC programs and the state administration of federalUI benefits. Although there are broad requirements under federal law regarding UC benefits and financing, the specifics are set out under each state's laws, resulting in 53 different UC programs operated in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. States operate their own UC programs and administer any temporary, federal UI benefits. A state UC program determines the weekly benefit amount and the number of weeks of UC available to unemployed workers. Most states provide up to 26 weeks of UC to eligible individuals who become involuntarily unemployed for economic reasons and meet state-established eligibility rules."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2021-03-23
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Resources for Tracking Federal COVID-19 Spending [Updated March 23, 2021]
From the Document: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with supplemental appropriations measures providing relief and assistance to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. This report provides selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief and assistance spending. It contains links to and information on government sources detailing spending amounts at various levels, including consolidated spending by multiple government agencies, spending by individual government agencies, and spending for specific recipients and geographies. The sources themselves are large government databases, individual agencies, oversight entities, and selected nongovernmental entities that attempt to repackage information on spending amounts obtained from available government sources."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2021-03-23
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COVID-19 Response: Broadband Funding for Tribes, Tribal Colleges and Universities, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Indian Health Service [Updated March 30, 2021]
From the Document: "Three recent enacted laws that, in whole or in part, address the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic provided both direct and indirect broadband funding for American Indian tribes, tribal colleges and universities, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Indian Health Service (collectively, 'tribal entities'). They are [1] the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, P.L. [public law] 116-136; [2] Division N of Title IX of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021), P.L. 116-260; and [3] the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), P.L. 117-2. This In Focus lists major broadband programs funded by these three laws as well as potential additional funding in subsequently proposed legislation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Figliola, Patricia Moloney; Rachfal, Colby Leigh; Casey, Alyssa R. . . .
2021-03-30
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Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits [October 18, 2019]
From the Introduction: "The federal-state Unemployment Compensation (UC) program provides income support to eligible workers through the payment of UC benefits during a spell of unemployment. UC benefits are available for a maximum duration of up to 26 weeks in most states.1 Unemployment benefits may be extended for up to 13 or 20 weeks by the Extended Benefit (EB) program under certain state economic conditions. [...] This report describes two kinds of unemployment benefits in detail: regular UC and EB. The report explains their basic eligibility requirements, benefits, and financing structures."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-; Whittaker, Julie M.
2019-10-18
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Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources [Updated May 11, 2020]
From the Summary: "USAspending.gov, available at http://www.USAspending.gov, is a government source for data on federal awards by state, congressional district (CD), county, city, and zip code. The awards data in USAspending.gov are provided by federal agencies and represent contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance. USAspending.gov also provides tools for examining the broader picture of federal spending obligations within the categories of budget function, agency, and object class. Using USAspending.gov to locate and compile accurate data on federal awards can be challenging due, in part, to continuing data quality issues that have been identified by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Users of USAspending.gov need to be aware that while search results may be useful for informing consideration of certain questions, these results may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer
2020-05-11
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COVID-19 and Global Food Security: Issues for Congress [June 15, 2020]
From the Document: "Some Members of Congress have demonstrated an ongoing interest in global food security, including how the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may affect global food security needs in 2020. Some policymakers are examining whether existing U.S. global food security programs are sufficient to meet potentially increased needs. They are also considering what legislative changes, if any, might help address the emerging global food assistance challenges caused by COVID-19."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Casey, Alyssa R.; Morgenstern, Emily M.
2020-06-15
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COVID-19: Resources for Tracking Federal Spending [Updated July 21, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with various legislation providing relief to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. This Insight provides selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief funding provided through these bills."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2020-07-21
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COVID-19: Resources for Tracking Federal Spending [Updated July 1, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with various legislation providing relief to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight provides information on selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief funding provided through these bills. For general information on resources for tracking federal funds, see CRS Report R44027, 'Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources,' by Jennifer Teefy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2020-07-01
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COVID-19: Resources for Tracking Federal Spending [Updated July 17, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with various legislation providing relief to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. This Insight provides selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief funding provided through these bills."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2020-07-17
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COVID-19: Resources for Tracking Federal Spending [Updated July 7, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with various legislation providing relief to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. This Insight provides selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief funding provided through these bills."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2020-07-07
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COVID-19: Resources for Tracking Federal Spending [Updated June 22, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with various legislation providing relief to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight provides information on selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief funding provided through these bills."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2020-06-22
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COVID-19: Resources for Tracking Federal Spending [Updated June 17, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with various legislation providing relief to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight provides information on selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief funding provided through these bills."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2020-06-17
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Extending Unemployment Compensation Benefits During Recessions [October 11, 2012]
"This report describes the history of temporary federal extensions to unemployment benefits from 1980 to the present. Among these extensions is the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program created by P.L. 110-252 (amended by P.L. 110-449, P.L. 111-5, P.L. 111-92, P.L. 111-118, P.L. 111-144, P.L. 111-157, P.L. 111-205, P.L. 111-312, P.L. 112-78, and P.L. 112- 96). This report contains five sections. The first section provides background information on unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. It also provides a brief summary of UC benefit exhaustion and how exhaustion rates are related to the business cycle. The second section provides the definition of a recession as well as the determination process for declaring a recession. It also provides information on the timing of all recessions since 1980. The third section summarizes the legislative history of federal extensions of unemployment benefits. It includes information on the permanently authorized extended benefit (EB) program as well as information on temporary unemployment benefit extensions. It also includes a brief discussion on the role of extended unemployment benefits as part of an economic stimulus package. The fourth section provides figures examining the timing of recessions and statistics that may be considered for determining extending unemployment benefits. The fifth section briefly discusses previous methods for financing these temporary programs. In particular it attempts to identify provisions in temporary extension legislation that may have led to increases in revenue or decreases in spending related to unemployment benefits. This report will be updated to reflect new laws extending unemployment benefits."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2012-10-11
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Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits [December 31, 2012]
"Various benefits may be available to unemployed workers to provide income support. When eligible workers lose their jobs, the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program may provide up to 26 weeks of income support through the payment of regular UC benefits. Unemployment benefits may be extended for up to 47 weeks by the temporarily authorized Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program. Unemployment benefits may be extended for up to a further 13 or 20 weeks by the permanent Extended Benefit (EB) program under certain state economic conditions. Certain groups of workers who lose their jobs because of international competition may qualify for income support through Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) programs. Unemployed workers may be eligible to receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits if they are not eligible for regular UC and if their unemployment may be directly attributed to a declared major disaster. Former U.S. military servicemembers may be eligible for unemployment benefits through the unemployment compensation for ex-servicemembers (UCX) program. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-164) provides that ex-servicemembers be treated the same as other unemployed workers with respect to benefit levels, the waiting period for benefits, and benefit duration."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2012-12-31
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Tax Provisions to Assist with Disaster Recovery [November 29, 2012]
"Relief after a natural or man-made disaster may come from what many might consider an unlikely source: the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The IRC includes several tax relief provisions that apply to affected taxpayers. Some of these provisions are permanent. The following are among the permanent provisions discussed in this report: [1] casualty loss deductions, IRC Section 165; [2] exemption from taxation for disaster relief payments to individuals, IRC Section 139; [3] exemption from taxation for certain insurance payments, IRC Section 123; and [3] deferral of gain from the involuntary conversion of homes destroyed or damaged by a disaster, IRC Section 1033. In recent years, Congress has enacted tax legislation generally intended to assist victims of specific disasters; as a result, these laws were temporary in nature. […] This report provides a basic overview of existing, permanent provisions that benefit victims of disasters, as well as past, targeted legislative responses to particular disasters. The relief is discussed without examining either the qualifications for or the limitation on claiming the provisions' benefits. In light of Hurricane Sandy, this report is designed to help Congress identify previous legislative responses to recent disasters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lunder, Erika; Pettit, Carol A.; Teefy, Jennifer
2012-11-29
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Trade Preferences for Developing Countries and the World Trade Organization (WTO) [October 26, 2011]
"Article I:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) requires World Trade Organization (WTO) Members to grant most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment 'immediately and unconditionally' to the like products of other Members with respect to tariffs and other trade-related measures. Programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), under which developed countries grant preferential tariff rates to developing country goods, are facially inconsistent with this obligation because they accord goods of some countries more favorable tariff treatment than that accorded to like goods of other WTO Members. Because such programs have been viewed as trade-expanding, however, parties to the GATT provided a legal basis for one-way tariff preferences in a 1979 decision known as the Enabling Clause. The Enabling Clause was formally incorporated into the GATT 1994 upon the entry into force of the GATT Uruguay Round agreements on January 1, 1995. In 2004, the WTO Appellate Body ruled that the Clause allows developed countries to offer differing treatment to developing countries in a GSP program, but only if identical treatment is available to all similarly situated beneficiaries. In addition to GSP programs, some WTO Members may also grant preferences to products of particular groups of countries that are more generous than GSP benefits. In such cases, Members have generally obtained time-limited WTO waivers of GATT Article I:l and, if needed, other GATT obligations. The United States holds temporary WTO waivers for tariff preferences granted to the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and for three regional preference schemes: (1) the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as amended; (2) the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), as amended, and (3) the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Jeanne J.
2011-10-26
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Trade Preferences for Developing Countries and the World Trade Organization (WTO) [September 23, 2011]
"Article I:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) requires World Trade Organization (WTO) Members to grant most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment 'immediately and unconditionally' to the like products of other Members with respect to tariffs and other trade-related measures. Programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), under which developed countries grant preferential tariff rates to developing country goods, are facially inconsistent with this obligation because they accord goods of some countries more favorable tariff treatment than that accorded to like goods of other WTO Members. Because such programs have been viewed as trade-expanding, however, parties to the GATT provided a legal basis for one-way tariff preferences in a 1979 decision known as the Enabling Clause. The Enabling Clause was formally incorporated into the GATT 1994 upon the entry into force of the GATT Uruguay Round agreements on January 1, 1995. In 2004, the WTO Appellate Body ruled that the Clause allows developed countries to offer differing treatment to developing countries in a GSP program, but only if identical treatment is available to all similarly situated beneficiaries. In addition to GSP programs, some WTO Members may also grant preferences to products of particular groups of countries that are more generous than GSP benefits. In such cases, Members have generally obtained time-limited WTO waivers of GATT Article I:l and, if needed, other GATT obligations. The United States holds temporary WTO waivers for tariff preferences granted to the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and for three regional preference schemes: (1) the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as amended; (2) the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), as amended, and (3) the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Jeanne J.
2011-09-23
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Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 113th Congress [January 25, 2013]
"The 113th Congress may face a number of issues related to currently available unemployment insurance programs: Unemployment Compensation (UC), temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08), and Extended Benefits (EB). With the national unemployment rate decreasing but still high, the weekly demand for regular and extended unemployment benefits continues at high levels. Congress deliberated multiple times on whether to extend the authorization for several key temporary unemployment insurance provisions in the 112th Congress and may do so again in the 113th Congress. The signing of P.L. [Public Law] 112-240 on January 2, 2013, now means that the EUC08 program expires the week ending on or before January 1, 2014. The 100% federal financing of the EB program expires on December 31, 2013. In addition, the option for states to use three-year EB trigger lookbacks (the period of time considered in determining an active EB program within a state) expires the week ending on or before December 31, 2013. The 113th Congress will face these expirations as well as likely unemployment insurance policy issues, including unemployment insurance financing. Among other items, policy discussions may focus on the appropriate length and availability conditions of unemployment benefits. This report provides a brief overview of the three unemployment insurance programs--UC, EUC08, and EB--that may currently pay benefits to eligible unemployed workers. This report will be updated when relevant legislation in the 113th Congress is introduced."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2013-01-25
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Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) [January 3, 2013]
"Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are available only to those individuals who have become unemployed as a direct result of a declared major disaster. First created in 1970 through P.L. [Public Law] 91-606, DUA benefits are authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Relief Act (the Stafford Act), which authorizes the President to issue a major disaster declaration after state and local government resources have been overwhelmed by a natural catastrophe or, 'regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion in any part of the United States' (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)). The DUA program provides income support to individuals who become unemployed as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. DUA is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) through each state's UC agency. DUA beneficiaries (because they are not entitled to regular UC) are not eligible to receive Extended Benefits (EB) or Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) benefits. In the 112th Congress, S. 3655 would have extended the maximum weeks of DUA benefits from 26 to 39 weeks for those individuals receiving DUA because of Hurricane Sandy. In addition, the bill would reimburse states for regular state UC payments that are based on unemployment attributable to Hurricane Sandy. H.R. 1, the Senate legislative vehicle for Superstorm Sandy supplemental appropriations relief, would not alter the amount or duration of DUA benefits available for those persons impacted by Hurricane Sandy. There has been no legislative activity concerning DUA benefits in the 113th Congress. This report contains information on how to ascertain if an individual is eligible for DUA benefits. The report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.
2013-01-03
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FY2008 Budget Documents: Internet Access and GPO Availability [February 13, 2007]
"Every year, the President submits to Congress a series of volumes that provide the text of the President's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. By law, the proposal is due by the first Monday in February. Neither the Congressional Research Service (CRS) nor the Library of Congress can provide giveaway copies of the budget documents. This report provides brief descriptions of the budget volumes and related documents, together with Internet addresses, Government Printing Office (GPO) stock numbers, and prices to obtain these publications. It also tells how to find locations of government depository libraries, which can provide both printed copies for reference use and Internet access to the text. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer
2007-02-13
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Antipoverty Effects of Unemployment Insurance [October 4, 2012]
"A period of unemployment greatly increases the odds that a worker and members of the worker's family will be counted among the nation's poor. For example, among persons between the ages of 16 and 64 who were unemployed in March 2012, about one in four (27.6%) were poor based on their families' incomes in 2011; among those who were employed, 6.9% were poor. A variety of social insurance benefits may be available for unemployed workers. The benefits analyzed in this report can be generically grouped into the category of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. UI benefits provide a cash supplement to replace a portion of lost wages to qualified unemployed individuals. Two main objectives of the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program are to provide temporary and partial wage replacement to involuntarily unemployed workers and to stabilize the economy during recessions. As a temporary, partial replacement of lost earnings due to job loss, the benefits workers receive may help to prevent them and their family members from reaching poverty, an ancillary but important role of the program. Unemployment benefits are an individual worker's entitlement (as long as that worker meets the criteria for the benefit) and are not means tested. In this regard, the UI program, while not a poverty program per se, can play an important role in reducing poverty associated with job loss. In addition, as a countercyclical program UI has a macroeconomic effect in reducing poverty. By injecting dollars into the economy directed toward those who have experienced job loss, UI helps to partially mitigate income loss among a group directly affected by economic downturn. UI temporarily augments the ability of unemployed workers to meet basic needs, which further stimulates the economy. In this regard, the macroeconomic effect of UI helps dampen the tendency for poverty to increase during periods of economic downturn."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Gabe, Thomas
2012-10-04
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Extending Unemployment Compensation Benefits During Recessions [September 13, 2012]
"This report describes the history of temporary federal extensions to unemployment benefits from 1980 to the present. Among these extensions is the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program created by P.L. 110-252 (amended by P.L. 110-449, P.L. 111-5, P.L. 111-92, P.L. 111-118, P.L. 111-144, P.L. 111-157, P.L. 111-205, P.L. 111-312, P.L. 112-78, and P.L. 112- 96). This report contains five sections. The first section provides background information on unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. It also provides a brief summary of UC benefit exhaustion and how exhaustion rates are related to the business cycle. The second section provides the definition of a recession as well as the determination process for declaring a recession. It also provides information on the timing of all recessions since 1980. The third section summarizes the legislative history of federal extensions of unemployment benefits. It includes information on the permanently authorized extended benefit (EB) program as well as information on temporary unemployment benefit extensions. It also includes a brief discussion on the role of extended unemployment benefits as part of an economic stimulus package. The fourth section provides figures examining the timing of recessions and statistics that may be considered for determining extending unemployment benefits. The fifth section briefly discusses previous methods for financing these temporary programs. In particular it attempts to identify provisions in temporary extension legislation that may have led to increases in revenue or decreases in spending related to unemployment benefits. This report will be updated to reflect new laws extending unemployment benefits."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2012-09-13
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Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits [September 19, 2012]
"Various benefits may be available to unemployed workers to provide income support. When eligible workers lose their jobs, the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program may provide up to 26 weeks of income support through the payment of regular UC benefits. Unemployment benefits may be extended for up to 47 weeks by the temporarily authorized Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program. Unemployment benefits may be extended for up to a further 13 or 20 weeks by the permanent Extended Benefit (EB) program under certain state economic conditions. Certain groups of workers who lose their jobs because of international competition may qualify for income support through Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) programs. Unemployed workers may be eligible to receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits if they are not eligible for regular UC and if their unemployment may be directly attributed to a declared major disaster. Former U.S. military servicemembers may be eligible for unemployment benefits through the unemployment compensation for ex-servicemembers (UCX) program. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-164) provides that ex-servicemembers be treated the same as other unemployed workers with respect to benefit levels, the waiting period for benefits, and benefit duration."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2012-09-19
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Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF): State Insolvency and Federal Loans to States [September 20, 2012]
"During some recessions, current taxes and reserve balances were insufficient to cover state expenditures for unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. UC benefits are an entitlement, and states are legally required to pay benefits even if the state account is insolvent. Some states may borrow funds from the Federal Unemployment Account (FUA) within the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) to meet UC benefit obligations. The 2009 stimulus package (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5 §2004) temporarily waives interest payments and the accrual of interest on these loans to states from the FUA. This report summarizes how insolvent states may borrow funds from the federal account within the UTF to meet their UC benefit obligations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.
2012-09-20
