Trade Adjustment Assistance Modernization Act

Key Points

• This bill reauthorizes and expands Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs that expired in 2021, extending them through 2033. It provides job training, income support, job search and relocation allowances, and case management services for workers who lose their jobs or face reduced hours because of foreign trade competition.
• The bill broadens eligibility to include staffed workers (contractors), teleworkers, and public agency employees. It also lowers the threshold for proving that trade caused job losses by removing the word 'importantly' from the contribution standard, making it easier for workers to qualify.
• A permanent Health Coverage Tax Credit is established at 80% of insurance costs (up from 72.5%), helping displaced workers maintain health coverage while retraining or searching for new employment. The credit applies retroactively to coverage months after December 31, 2021.
• The bill authorizes $1 billion per year for community college and career training grants and $1 billion per year for community economic development grants. It also more than doubles training funds from $450 million to $1 billion per year for fiscal years 2027-2031, and creates a new child and dependent care allowance of up to $2,000 per dependent per year.
• Financial benefits like job search allowances, relocation allowances, and the reemployment wage supplement are increased and indexed to inflation. Job search and relocation allowances rise from $1,250 to $2,000, and the reemployment wage supplement cap goes from $10,000 to $20,000 with eligibility expanded to workers earning up to $70,000 (up from $50,000).
• Farmers receive significantly higher benefit caps — individual technical assistance rises from $4,000 to $12,000, group assistance from $8,000 to $24,000, and the overall cap from $12,000 to $36,000. The eligibility threshold is loosened by removing the requirement that prices fall to 85% of average levels, and a new pathway based on export declines is added.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

Related Bills

No related bills have been identified yet.