Kevin Brady: “Next Wednesday, February 22, will mark 5 years since the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act was signed into…”

“Next Wednesday, February 22, will mark 5 years since the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act was signed into law. This 2012 law has made important reforms in the unemployment insurance system, improvements that were specifically designed to help more out-of-work Americans successfully return to the workforce. {time} 1330 This included a key provision which overturned a 1960s-era ban by the Department of Labor on drug screening and testing of unemployment insurance applicants. Unemployment insurance serves those that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It seeks to promote swift reemployment through several key requirements. Namely, to be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, applicants must be able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work. So if a worker loses his or her job due to drug use, that worker is not truly able to work. In addition, if a worker cannot take a new job because they can't pass a mandatory drug test from their employer, this worker is not truly available to work either. In recognition of this issue, the 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act allowed but did not require States to drug screen and test certain unemployment applicants, specifically those seeking a job or an occupation that regularly required new employees to pass a drug test.…”