text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Unemployment Assistance Act of 
  2009''.
  
  SEC. 2. EXCLUSION FROM GROSS INCOME OF UNEMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTIONS FROM 
                TAX-FAVORED ACCOUNTS.
  
      (a) In General.--Part III of subchapter B of chapter 1 of the 
  Internal Revenue Code is amended by inserting after section 139B the 
  following new section:
  
  ``SEC. 139C. DISTRIBUTIONS FROM TAX-FAVORED ACCOUNT DURING PERIODS OF 
                UNEMPLOYMENT.
  
      ``(a) In General.--Gross income shall not include any qualified 
  unemployment distribution from a tax-favored account.
      ``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
              ``(1) Qualified unemployment distribution.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The term `qualified unemployment 
                  distribution' means, with respect to an individual, any 
                  distribution from a tax-favored account of such 
                  individual to the extent such distribution--
                              ``(i) is made during a period of 
                          unemployment which does not exceed 2 years, and
                              ``(ii) is used during such period by the 
                          individual to pay qualified living expenses, 
                          qualified health care expenses, or qualified 
                          education or job training expenses.
                      ``(B) Qualified living expenses.--The term 
                  `qualified living expenses' means any of the following 
                  expenses of the taxpayer: rent, acquisition 
                  indebtedness (as defined in section 164(h)(3)(B)), 
                  groceries, repairs with respect to a vehicle or 
                  principal residence (within the meaning of section 121) 
                  of the taxpayer, and any other such necessary and 
                  common expenses of the individuals. Such term shall not 
                  include any prepayment of rent or acquisition 
                  indebtedness.
                      ``(C) Qualified health care expenses.--The term 
                  `qualified health care expenses' means amounts paid by 
                  such individual for medical care (as defined in section 
                  213(d) for such individual, the spouse of such 
                  individual, and any dependent (as defined in section 
                  152, determined without regard to subsections (b)(1), 
                  (b)(2), and (d)(1)(B) thereof) of such individual, but 
                  only to the extent such amounts are not compensated for 
                  by insurance or otherwise.
                      ``(D) Qualified education or job training 
                  expenses.--The term `qualified education or job 
                  training expenses' means any expenses which would (but 
                  for subsection (c)) be qualified tuition and related 
                  expenses for purposes of section 25A(c) (relating to 
                  Lifetime Learning Credit).
              ``(2) Tax-favored account.--The term `tax-favored account' 
          means any of the following:
                      ``(A) An eligible retirement plan (as defined in 
                  section 402(c)(8)(B)).
                      ``(B) A health savings account described in section 
                  223.
                      ``(C) A Roth IRA.
                      ``(D) A qualified tuition program described in 
                  section 529.
      ``(c) Amount Distributed May Be Repaid.--
              ``(1) In general.--Any individual who receives a qualified 
          unemployment distribution may make one or more contributions in 
          an aggregate amount not to exceed the amount of such 
          distribution to a tax-favored account of which such individual 
          is a beneficiary and to which a rollover contribution of such 
          distribution could be made under section 402(c), 403(a)(4), 
          403(b)(8), 408(d)(3), or 457(e)(16), 223(f)(5), or 
          529(c)(3)(C), as the case may be.
              ``(2) Treatment of repayments of distributions from 
          eligible retirement plans other than iras.--For purposes of 
          this title, if a contribution is made pursuant to subparagraph 
          (A) with respect to a qualified unemployment distribution from 
          an eligible retirement plan other than an individual retirement 
          plan, then the taxpayer shall, to the extent of the amount of 
          the contribution, be treated as having received the qualified 
          unemployment distribution in an eligible rollover distribution 
          (as defined in section 402(c)(4)) and as having transferred the 
          amount to the eligible retirement plan in a direct trustee to 
          trustee transfer within 60 days of the distribution.
              ``(3) Treatment of repayments for distributions from 
          iras.--For purposes of this title, if a contribution is made 
          pursuant to subparagraph (A) with respect to a qualified 
          unemployment distribution from an individual retirement plan 
          (as defined by section 7701(a)(37)), then, to the extent of the 
          amount of the contribution, the qualified unemployment 
          distribution shall be treated as a distribution described in 
          section 408(d)(3) and as having been transferred to the 
          eligible retirement plan in a direct trustee to trustee 
          transfer within 60 days of the distribution.
              ``(4) Other tax-favored accounts.--For purposes of this 
          title, if a contribution is made pursuant to subparagraph (A) 
          with respect to a qualified unemployment distribution--
                      ``(A) from a health savings account described in 
                  section 223, or
                      ``(B) from a qualified tuition program described in 
                  section 529
          then, to the extent of the amount of the contribution, the 
          qualified unemployment distribution shall be treated as a 
          distribution described in section 529(c)(3)(C) or 223(f)(5), as 
          the case may be, and as having been transferred to such account 
          or program, as the case may be, within 60 days of the 
          distribution.
      ``(d) Denial of Double Benefit.--Any qualified unemployment 
  distribution with respect to any expense described in (b)(1)(A)(ii) 
  which is excluded from gross income under this section shall not be 
  taken into account in determining any deduction or credit under this 
  chapter relating to such an expense.''.
      (b) Conforming Amendment.--Paragraph (2) of section 72(t) of such 
  Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                      ``(H) Unemployment distributions.--Any distribution 
                  excludable from gross income under section 139C 
                  (relating to distributions from tax-favored account 
                  during periods of unemployment).''.
      (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for part III of 
  subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting after 
  the item relating to section 139B the following new section:
  
  ``Sec. 139C. Distributions from tax-favored account during periods of 
                              unemployment.''.
      (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
  apply to distributions made after the date of the enactment of this 
  Act.
target: Unemployment Assistance Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income amounts distributed from tax-exempt retirement plans, health savings accounts, Roth individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and qualified tuition programs to pay for certain living, health care and education or job training expenses of a taxpayer during a period of unemployment not exceeding two years.
feat_title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income amounts distributed from tax-favored accounts during a period of unemployment.