(a) Eligibility criteria. An AAW from a worker group certified under § 618.225 may elect to receive RTAA benefits if the AAW:

(1) Is at least 50 years of age;

(2) Earns not more than, or is projected to earn not more than, $50,000 in reemployment wages each year during the eligibility period, as further defined in § 618.520(a);

(3) Earns less than, or is projected to earn less than, the AAW's annualized wages at separation, as further defined in § 618.520(a);

(4)(i) Is employed on a full-time basis as defined by the law of the State in which the worker is employed and is not enrolled in any training program approved under subpart F of this part; or

(ii) Is employed at least 20 hours per week and is enrolled in a TAA approved training program; and

(5) Is not employed at the firm, as further defined in paragraph (b) of this section, from which the worker was separated.

(b) Eligibility-relevant definitions. For purposes of RTAA, the following definitions apply:

(1) Firm. The State must determine on a case-by-case basis what constitutes the “firm” for purposes of determining RTAA eligibility based on the certification. If the Department issues the certification under subpart B of this part for a worker group in an appropriate subdivision of a firm, an AAW in that group is not eligible for RTAA upon a return to employment within that subdivision, but may be eligible for RTAA upon a return to employment at another subdivision of the firm. If, however, the Department issues the certification for a worker group composed of all workers from the firm rather than from a subdivision, then the worker is not eligible for RTAA based on a return to employment in any subdivision of that firm.

(2) Successor-in-interest. The State must determine if the firm now employing the AAW is the same firm as the one from which the AAW was separated.

(i) In making its determination, the State should first review the certification under which the worker was covered, look for any amendments to the certification, and compare the name and address of the firm in the certification to the name and address of the firm in which the worker has found reemployment. If they are the same, this is, in most cases, dispositive: The firms are the same and the worker is not eligible for RTAA.

(ii) If, despite the information gathered under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, it nonetheless remains unclear whether the firms are the same, the State may need to obtain further information about the firm reemploying the worker, from the employer and otherwise, to make that determination. To do so, the State should determine whether the firm at which the worker found reemployment is a “successor-in-interest” to the firm from which the worker was separated. If the reemploying firm merged with, acquired, or purchased the assets of the firm from which the worker was separated, then the reemploying firm is a successor-in-interest.

(iii) If the reemploying firm does not meet the criteria in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, or if that information is unavailable, then the State should consider the factors identified in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) through (vii) of this section to determine whether the reemploying firm is a successor-in-interest. If the State determines that the worker returned to employment with a successor-in-interest to the firm from which the worker was separated, then the worker is not eligible for RTAA. The State must make the determination based on the individual application of the worker. A firm, together with any predecessor or successor-in-interest, or together with any affiliated firm controlled or substantially owned by substantially the same persons, is considered a single firm. If the State determines that the reemployment is with a successor-in-interest the State also must seek to identify any additional members of the worker group and notify them of their potential eligibility under the TAA Program, as provided in § 618.816(e).

(3) Successor-in-interest factors. A State may consider a firm a successor-in-interest to another firm, if a majority of the following factors are present:

(i) There is continuity in business operations.

(ii) There is continuity in location.

(iii) There is continuity in the workforce.

(iv) There is continuity in supervisory personnel.

(v) The same jobs exist under similar conditions.

(vi) There is continuity in machinery, equipment, and process.

(vii) There is continuity in product/service.

(4) Year. For purposes of RTAA, a year represents the 12-month period beginning with the first full week of qualifying reemployment.

(c) Full-time employment. For purposes of RTAA, full-time employment is defined per State law in which the reemployment occurs.

(1) If there is no State law addressing the definition of full-time employment referenced under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, the State must issue a definition of full-time employment for RTAA purposes.

(2) The State must verify reemployment and do so in accordance with State policies.

(3) Where an AAW seeks to establish RTAA eligibility based upon more than one job, the State must combine employment hours in order to determine whether the worker has the number of hours needed to qualify for RTAA.

(4) If the AAW is employed in more than one State, the State must determine full-time employment for the entire duration of the AAW's RTAA eligibility under a single certification under the law of the State in which the AAW has the lowest threshold of hours required to meet the definition of full-time employment.

(d) Relevance of UI eligibility. UI eligibility is not a requirement for RTAA eligibility.

(e) Eligible employment. (1) Employment for purposes of paragraph (a)(4) of this section must be covered employment under State law; however, employment may not include activity that is unlawful under Federal, State, or local law.

(2) Work involving wages plus commission or piece work may be considered qualifying employment for the purpose of establishing RTAA eligibility, if it otherwise meets the criteria in paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(3) For purposes of meeting the requirements of paragraphs (a)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section, employment may include one or more jobs unless, in the case of paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, the law of the State in which the AAW is employed provides otherwise.

(4) A State must count hours in which an AAW is on employer-authorized leave as hours of work for purposes of meeting the requirements of paragraphs (a)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section unless, in the case of paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, the law of the State in which the worker is employed provides otherwise.