This advisory contains instructions for updating the ET Handbook No. 395, 4th Edition, on BAM Paid Claims Accuracy (PCA) and Denied Claims Accuracy (DCA) programs.

To inform State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) of the 2009 MAFO National Farmworker and the Monitor Advocate Training Sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Region IV Dallas Office being held in San Antonio, Texas, March 29-April 1, 2009.

To provide states and outlying areas with stimulus allotments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to supplement Program Year (PY) 2008 allotments for WIA Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth Activities Programs, and Employment Service (ES) activities, as required by the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended, and to provide RES Allotments.

To provide State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) with additional information on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Information Technology (IT) security guidelines.

To provide State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) with guidelines and key dates for the completion of CY 2008 UI BAM paid and denied claims sample cases and the publication of CY 2008 BAM data.

To advise states about the extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08) program.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (The Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will issue formal guidance to all states within 30 days of enactment for implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and Wagner-Peyser funding under the Recovery Act. This notice describes the initial plans ETA has developed for implementing these programs under the Recovery Act. Formal guidance is forthcoming.

To provide an opportunity for comment on proposed changes to the Assurance of Disaster Recovery Capability and the Assurance of Automated Information Systems Security sections within ET Handbook 336.

To advise states of amendments to Federal law providing for unemployment compensation (UC) modernization incentive payments to states, a special administrative transfer to states, relief from interest on advances to state unemployment funds, and the partial suspension of Federal income tax on UC.

To inform State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) of the opportunity to submit a supplemental budget request (SBR) for costs associated with implementation of the new temporary Federal Additional Compensation (FAC) program.