RESEARCH PROGRAM, TRAINING GRANTS AND FEDERAL ADVISORY COUNCIL.

SEC. 141. RESEARCH PROGRAM, TRAINING GRANTS AND FEDERAL ADVISORY COUNCIL. Title IX of the Social Security Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new sections: “unemployment compensation research program “Sec. 906. (a) The Secretary of Labor shall— “(1) establish a continuing and comprehensive program of research to evaluate the unemployment compensation system. Such research shall include, but not be limited to, a program of factual studies covering the role of unemployment compensation under varying patterns of unemployment including those in seasonal industries, the relationship between the unemployment compensation and other social insurance programs, the effect of State eligibility and disqualification provisions the personal characteristics, family situations, employment background and experience of claimants, with the results of such studies to be made public; and “(2) establish a program of research to develop information (which shall be made public) as to the effect and impact of extending coverage to excluded groups with first attention to agricultural labor. “(b) To assist in the establishment and provide for the continuation of the comprehensive research program relating to the unemployment compensation system, there are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1971, and for each fiscal year thereafter, such sums, not to exceed $8,000,000, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. From the sums authorized to be appropriated by this subsection the Secretary may provide for the conduct of such research through grants or contracts. “personnel training “Sec. 907. (a) In order to assist in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of administration of the unemployment compensation program by increasing the number of adequately trained personnel, the Secretary of Labor shall— “(1) provide directly, through State agencies, or through contracts with institutions of higher education or other qualified agencies, organizations, or institutions, programs and courses designed to train individuals to prepare them, or improve their qualifications, for service in the administration of the unemployment compensation program, including claims determinations and adjudication, with such stipends and allowances as may be permitted under regulations of the Secretary; “(2) develop training materials for and provide technical assistance to the State agencies in the operation of their training programs: “(3) under such regulations as he may prescribe, award fellowships and traineeships to persons in the Federal-State employment security agencies, in order to prepare them or improve 84 Stat. 706their qualifications for service in the administration of the unemployment compensation program. “(b) The Secretary may, to the extent that he finds such action to be necessary, prescribe requirements to assure that any person receiving a fellowship, traineeship, stipend or allowance shall repay the costs thereof to the extent that such person fails to serve in the Federal-State employment security program for the period prescribed by the Secretary. The Secretary may relieve any individual of his obligation to so repay, in whole or in part, whenever and to the extent that such repayment would, in his judgment, be inequitable or would be contrary to the purposes of any of the programs established by this section. “(c) The Secretary, with the concurrence of the State, may detail Federal employees to State unemployment compensation administration and the Secretary may concur in the detailing of State employees to the United States Department of Labor for temporary periods for training or for purposes of unemployment compensation administration, and the provisions of section 507 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (79 Stat. 27) or any more general program of interchange enacted by a law amending, supplementing, or replacing section 507 shall apply to any such assignment. “(d) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1971, and for each fiscal year thereafter such sums, not to exceed $5,000,000, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. “federal advisory council “Sec. 908. (a) The Secretary of Labor shall establish a Federal Advisory Council, of not to exceed 16 members including the chairman, for the purpose of reviewing the Federal-State program of unemployment compensation and making recommendations to him for improvement of the system. “(b) The Council shall be appointed by the Secretary without regard to the civil service laws and shall consist of men and women who shall be representatives of employers and employees in equal numbers, and the public. “(c) The Secretary may make available to the Council an Executive Secretary and secretarial, clerical, and other assistance, and such pertinent data prepared fay the Department of Labor, as it may require to carry out its functions. “(d) Members of the Council shall, while serving on business of the Council, be entitled to receive compensation at rates fixed by the Secretary, but not exceeding $100 per day, including travel time; and while so serving away from their homes or regular places of business, they may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5703(b) for persons in government service employed intermittently. “(e) The Secretary shall encourage the organization of similar State advisory councils. “(f) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1971, and for each fiscal year thereafter such sums, not to exceed $100,000, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section,”