Trade Adjustment Assistance — Program Overview

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Workers is a federally funded program, with no costs to employers, that helps workers who are adversely affected by foreign imports or job shifts to a foreign country. Assistance is provided to eligible workers in the form of reemployment services, training, job search, relocation, and support benefits in the form of Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA), a Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC), and/or Alternative/Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA/RTAA) for older workers.

On this page:

• Customers
• Reports
• Authority & Funding
• Tips & Guides
• Service
• Report Fraud

Customers

The TAA program serves those who are adversely affected by foreign imports or job shifts to a foreign country. To qualify, applicants must be laid off from a job covered under a trade petition certified by the U.S. Department of Labor. Certified petitions are governed by two different laws:

• The Trade Act of 2002 applies to workers included in certified petitions filed before May 18, 2009, or after February 14, 2011.
• The Trade Act of 2009 applies to workers included in certified petitions filed between May 18, 2009, and February 14, 2011.

For a detailed explanation of the differences between the two laws, see the TAA Program Reversion, Questions and Answers for Participants.

After a trade petition is certified, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) sends each individual listed under the petition a document (Form BT-1) that includes the following information:

• Notification of potential eligibility for the TAA program
• TAA program benefits
• Deadline to apply for some benefits
• Instructions to contact a Workforce Solutions office as soon as possible
• Contact information

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Reports

Pursuant to Texas Labor Code §302.007, TWC is required to submit the Trade Adjustment Assistance Annual Report to the Texas Legislature. This report provides data regarding job placement, job retention, earnings, and the industries of workers who took jobs following a training program.

• Trade Adjustment Assistance Annual Report
  2011 2010 2009

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Authority & Funding

The U.S. Department of Labor oversees the TAA program. At the state level, TWC administers and oversees TAA, and shares in the delivery of TAA services with the 28 Workforce Development Boards (Boards).

The U.S. Department of Labor allocates funds to the states to pay for administrative and operational costs. TWC then distributes funds to the Boards.

TAA is governed by the following:

• Federal Trade Act Statutes and Regulations
• Texas Administrative Code, Title 40, Part 20, Chapter 849

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