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SJR-15 • 2026

The federal Unemployment Trust Fund: debt.

The federal Unemployment Trust Fund: debt.

Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Jones
Last action
2026-05-20
Official status
Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specifics on how much debt is in the Unemployment Trust Fund or which businesses would be affected, leaving these details uncertain.

Unemployment Trust Fund Debt

This measure urges Congress to pass a law ensuring federal unemployment taxes on businesses do not increase due to debt in the Unemployment Trust Fund caused by state decisions leading to more unemployment claims.

What This Bill Does

  • Urges Congress to enact legislation that prevents federal unemployment taxes from increasing because of debt in the Unemployment Trust Fund.
  • Specifies that this debt is a result of increased filings due to state actions such as business shutdowns, extensions of shutdowns, or lapses in fraud prevention.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Businesses paying federal unemployment taxes
  • States making decisions about business closures and fraud prevention

Terms To Know

Unemployment Trust Fund
A fund where money is kept to help people who are out of work.
Federal unemployment taxes
Taxes that businesses pay to the federal government for unemployment benefits.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if Congress does not pass this law.
  • Does not provide details on the amount of debt in the Unemployment Trust Fund or which specific businesses would be affected.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-20 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

  2. 2026-05-07 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Referred to Com. on RLS.

Official Summary Text

SJR 15, as introduced, Jones.
The federal Unemployment Trust Fund: debt.
This measure would urge the United States Congress to enact federal legislation that would ensure that federal unemployment taxes on businesses are not increased due to any debt to the federal Unemployment Trust Fund that was a direct result of a state’s decisions resulting in increased filings, including shutdowns, extensions of shutdowns, or lapses in fraud prevention programs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF