1. I. The department of employment security, through its commissioner, is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement, effective April 3, 1975, with the secretary of labor of the United States to become an agent of the United States in order to carry out the provisions of Chapter 2 of Title II of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (P.L. 93-618, as amended), and to perform such acts and do all those things necessary to fully carry out such agreement.

   I-a. The department of employment security, through its commissioner, is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement, effective November 4, 2002, with the Secretary of Labor of the United States to become an agent of the United States in order to carry out the provisions of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002, as amended, (P.L. 107-210, as amended), and to perform such acts and do all those things necessary to fully carry out such agreement.

2. II.

   1. (a) Solely for the purposes of carrying out the agreement authorized in paragraphs I and I-a, and notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter to the contrary, the provisions of this section permit:

      1. (1) The payment of unemployment compensation benefits:

         (A) To an individual undergoing a training or retraining program under said federal law,

         (B) To an individual who voluntarily leaves employment which is not suitable as specially defined in said Trade Act to enter training which has been approved under the Trade Act prior to said leaving.

      2. (2) An individual to receive unemployment compensation benefits though supplemented by a trade readjustment allowance or other assistance under the Trade Act.
      3. (3) The use of moneys in the contingent fund provided by RSA 282-A:140 for payment to the United States of America where it has been found that there was gross negligence, fraud or failure to take appropriate recovery action by New Hampshire under the terms of the agreement.
   2. (b) An individual whose benefit year ends during an extended benefit period shall have his potential maximum extended benefit amount reduced by any trade readjustment allowances received during said benefit year.
3. III. All costs of the Trade Act program, including benefits, training, counseling, attorney fees, or any other costs, shall be paid only out of federal funds made available to the state for that purpose. In administering the Trade Readjustment Act program, the state of New Hampshire shall be considered as acting solely as agent of the United States and shall incur no liability.
4. IV. The provisions of paragraph II shall be considered to be part of every grant, benefit, order or other document issued by any authority dealing with the Trade Act program as if fully set forth verbatim in such grant, benefit, order or other document.

Source. RSA 282:21. 1965, 373:1. 1975, 486:1, 2. 1976, 34:8, 9, 10. 1977, 600:37, I, II. 1978, 40:8, 9. 1979, 348:7, 11. 1981, 408:3; 416:14. 1982, 35:8. 2003, 116:12-14, eff. Aug. 8, 2003.