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H.R. 2785House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

REEF Act

To permanently exempt payments made from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account from sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Also known as Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act

Sponsored by Janice D. SchakowskyRep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL)
Introduced April 20, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 6:29 AM UTC

The REEF Act permanently shields payments made from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account from being reduced by sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. It affects railroad workers who receive unemployment insurance benefits, ensuring those payments are not cut during budget sequestration periods. The bill amends the 2020 Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act to remove certain provisions and set the exemption to take effect shortly after that law’s enactment, applying once the COVID‑19 national emergency ends.

Key Provisions

  • Amends Section 235 of the Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act of 2020 by deleting specific paragraphs and changing the effective date to seven days after that act’s enactment.
  • Permanently exempts payments from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account from sequestration under the 1985 Balanced Budget Act.
  • Specifies that the amendment applies as if enacted before the COVID‑19 national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, ends.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.

Budget Committee

April 20, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 20, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.

Budget Committee

April 20, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued April 20, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2785

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 20, 2023

Ms. Schakowsky (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Bacon, Mr. García of Illinois, and Mr. Stauber) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget

A BILL

To permanently exempt payments made from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account from sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

1.

Short titles

This Act may be cited as the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act or the REEF Act.

2.

Treatment of payments from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account

(a)

Amendments

Section 235 of the Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act of 2020 (subchapter III of title II of division N of Public Law 116–260) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

by striking paragraphs (1) and (2); and

(B)

by striking subsection (a)— and inserting subsection (a) shall take effect 7 days after the date of enactment of the Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act of 2020.; and

(2)

by striking subsection (c).

(b)

Applicability

The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply as if enacted on the date before the date on which the national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus disease (COVID–19) outbreak declared by the President on March 13, 2020, under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) terminates.