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1 1 (September 17, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/govyys0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Conresoa ReerhSI i 0 Updated September 17, 2018 Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) Overview and Program Rationale Reduced barriers to international trade are widely acknowledged to offer net benefits by expanding market access but may adversely affect domestic industries and workers that face increased competition. Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is designed to help trade-affected workers adjust to job loss resulting from increased foreign competition. The primary benefits under TAA are funding for retraining and weekly income support payments while affected workers are enrolled in training. This product provides a brief overview of the TAA for workers program. For a more detailed discussion, see CRS Report R44153, Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers and the TAA Reauthorization Act of 2015, by Benjamin Collins. Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2015 In June 2015, Congress enacted the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2015 (TAARA; Title IV of P.L. 114-27). This law established a set of TAA eligibility and benefit provisions that are set to remain in place through June 30, 2021. The law also authorized appropriations through that date. This product discusses the program as amended by TAARA. Program Administration TAA is administered jointly by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and cooperating state agencies. DOL is responsible for investigating group petitions to establish program eligibility. State agencies are responsible for administering federally funded benefits to eligible workers. Funding and FY20 18 Appropriations TAA is supported by mandatory appropriations. Funding for training and reemployment services is capped at $450 million per year. Training for income support is not capped at the aggregate level, though there are individual benefit limits. Appropriations for TAA in FY2018 were $790 million: $450 million for training and reemployment services and $340 million for income support and other benefits. TAA is nonexempt mandatory (direct) spending, which means it is subject to sequestration under the Budget Control Act. In FY2018, sequestration for nonexempt, nondefense spending was 6.6%, meaning that the postsequestration funding level was about $738 million. Eligibility and Group Application Process To be eligible for TAA benefits, an individual worker must be part of a group of TAA-certified workers. To obtain group certification, a group of three or more dislocated workers files a petition with DOL that describes how foreign trade contributed to the workers' job loss. DOL then conducts an investigation to determine if the circumstances of the workers' job loss meet program eligibility criteria. Qualified circumstances of job loss are the following: * Increase in directly competitive imports. The sales or production of the petitioning firm has decreased and imports of articles or services directly competitive with the petitioning firm have increased. * Shift in production. The workers' firm has shifted the production of articles or services that were produced by the petitioning workers to a foreign country, or the workers' firm has begun to acquire from a foreign country articles or services that are directly competitive with those produced by the workers. * Qualified secondary firm. The workers' firm is a supplier or downstream producer to a firm that was certified under either of the prior two criteria, and the secondary firm meets certain other criteria. * USITC firm. The workers' firm is publicly identified by name by the United States International Trade Commission as injured by a market disruption or other qualified action. If DOL's investigation finds that the cause of the workers' dislocation meets the statutory criteria, the workers' petition is certified. Workers covered by a certified group petition can then pursue individual benefits. The TAA eligibility criteria are designed to target workers who lose their jobs due to increased international trade and increased imports. The eligibility criteria are not designed for workers who are adversely affected by reductions in international trade or declines in exports. Training and Reemployment Services Workers covered by a certified TAA petition are entitled to certain benefits and services to aid them in preparing for and obtaining new employment. As noted above, training and reemployment services are administered through state workforce agencies. Case management and career services are typically provided by staff at state-run American Job Centers (also known as One-Stop Career Centers). Statute specifies a group of services that all TAA-certified workers shall receive, including a comprehensive skills assessment and the development of an individual plan to identify an employment objective and training to achieve that objective. ttps:I/crs reports. ccng ress. go,

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