This bill makes permanent a recent policy that allows the Department of Labor to provide reemployment services and eligibility assessments to all unemployment insurance claimants, not just a subset. This helps ensure that all workers who lose their jobs can access support to find new employment.
Latest Action
Became Public Law No: 118-120.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill makes permanent a recent policy that allows the Department of Labor to provide reemployment services and eligibility assessments to all unemployment insurance claimants, not just a subset. This helps ensure that all workers who lose their jobs can access support to find new employment.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act or the BRIDGE for Workers Act</strong></p><p>This bill permanently expands the allowable purposes for certain Department of Labor grants to states for reemployment services and eligibility assessments. Specifically, the bill permanently allows these grants to be used to fund reemployment services and eligibility assessments for all claimants for unemployment compensation.</p><p>(Under the current statute, the grants may only be used to provide such services to a subset of claimants who have been identified by the state as likely to exhaust unemployment benefits and need job search assistance to become employed. However, in recent years, annual appropriations acts have allowed the grants to be used for all claimants for unemployment compensation. This bill makes this authority permanent.) </p><p> </p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Permanently expands the allowable uses of Department of Labor grants to states for reemployment services and eligibility assessments to cover all unemployment insurance claimants, not just a subset
Builds on recent temporary changes that have allowed these services to be provided to all claimants, making this authority permanent
Aims to help ensure all workers who lose their jobs can access support and resources to find new employment
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
If this bill becomes law, all workers who file for unemployment insurance will be able to access reemployment services and eligibility assessments from their state, regardless of their specific circumstances. This could benefit millions of Americans who lose their jobs each year, providing them with tools and guidance to find new employment more quickly.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Labor and Employment
Related Subjects
Employment and training programs
Unemployment
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5861, 119th Congress (2025). "Legacy Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5861