LaHood's BRIDGE for Workers Act Passes the U.S. House Representatives

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed Congressman Darin LaHood's (R-IL-16) H.R. 5861, the Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment (BRIDGE) for Workers Act, by a voice vote. The legislation will provide states with greater flexibility in administering existing unemployment benefits to help more Americans find good-paying jobs.

LaHood, who is Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare, introduced the BRIDGE for Workers Act with Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny Davis (D-IL-07) in November of 2023. Rep. LaHood led debate on the bill on the House Floor, and his remarks can be viewed HERE.

"The United States currently has 1.2 unfilled jobs for every unemployed worker, which underscores the need for Congress to incentivize individuals to get back into the workforce," said Work and Welfare Subcommittee Chairman LaHood. "The BRIDGE for Workers Act will provide more flexibility to the states and give individuals on unemployment greater access to workforce development tools, which will strengthen our communities and our economy. I am proud to see this strong bipartisan effort from the Ways and Means Committee pass the House, and I urge the Senate to pass it swiftly."

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awards annual Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) grants to states and territories providing individual reemployment services for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants. Reemployment services give workers who might otherwise struggle to find new jobs the tools that they need to get back to work and reduce the number of weeks that UI claimants receive unemployment benefits.

Under current law, however, states can only use their federal grants to assist workers who are "most likely to exhaust their unemployment benefits." This unnecessary restriction prevents many unemployed workers from getting valuable assistance. The BRIDGE for Workers Act would remove this restriction and allow states to use their allocated funding to provide support to any individual receiving unemployment benefits, as long as the state believes these services would help them return to work more quickly.

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Permalink: https://lahood.house.gov/2024/9/lahood-s-bridge-for-workers-act-passes-the-u-s-house-representatives