PRINTER'S NO. 783
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
699
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY GORDNER, BARTOLOTTA, BAKER AND YUDICHAK,
MAY 20, 2021
REFERRED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY, MAY 20, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937
P.L.2897, No.1), entitled "An act establishing a system of
unemployment compensation to be administered by the
Department of Labor and Industry and its existing and newly
created agencies with personnel (with certain exceptions)
selected on a civil service basis; requiring employers to
keep records and make reports, and certain employers to pay
contributions based on payrolls to provide moneys for the
payment of compensation to certain unemployed persons;
providing procedure and administrative details for the
determination, payment and collection of such contributions
and the payment of such compensation; providing for
cooperation with the Federal Government and its agencies;
creating certain special funds in the custody of the State
Treasurer; and prescribing penalties," in preliminary
provisions, further providing for definitions; and, in
unemployment compensation fund and administration fund,
establishing the Return to Work Grant Program and the Return
to Work Grant Fund.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 4 of the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd
Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment
Compensation Law, is amended by adding subsections to read:
Section 4. Definitions.--The following words and phrases, as
used in this act, shall have the following meanings, unless the
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context clearly requires otherwise.
* * *
(n.1) "Return to Work Grant Fund" means the fund established
under section 610.
(n.2) "Return to Work Grant Program" means the program
established under section 610.
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 610. Return to Work Grant Program.--(a) The Return
to Work Grant Program is established within the department.
(b) No later than one month after the effective date of this
section, the department shall develop an online form regarding
the Return to Work Grant Program for individuals to use to
verify employment and removal from unemployment benefits. The
form shall be posted on the publicly accessible Internet website
of the department.
(c) From the money appropriated under this section, an
individual who leaves the unemployment compensation system and
returns to the work force shall be eligible for a grant of one
thousand dollars ($1,000).
(d) To qualify for a grant under this section, an individual
shall:
(1) certify that the individual is no longer receiving
unemployment benefits and has been employed for a minimum of
thirty-two hours per week for a period of four consecutive
weeks; and
(2) return to work no later than July 15, 2021.
(e) An individual is limited to receiving only one grant
under this section.
(f) An application for a grant under this section must be
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received by the department no later than August 31, 2021.
(g) The Return to Work Grant Fund is established in the
State Treasury. The following apply:
(1) In addition to any other money appropriated to the
department for grants under this section, the sum of one hundred
million dollars ($100,000,000) is appropriated to the department
from money received by the Commonwealth under Title IX, Subtitle
M, section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public
Law 117-2, 135 Stat. 4) and deposited into the Return to Work
Grant Fund for the purpose of supporting the Return To Work
Grant Program.
(2) Money deposited into the Return to Work Grant Fund shall
be allocated in accordance with this section.
(3) Any excess funds remaining in the Return to Work Grant
Fund after all applications have been processed shall be
returned to the General Fund.
(4) The Return to Work Grant Program is closed when the
Return To Work Grant Fund balance becomes zero.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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