Through this guidance, the Department of Labor is providing instruction on how states can apply for exemptions to restrictions prohibiting the use of OJT NEG funds on activities related to casinos or other gambling establishments, swimming pools, aquariums, zoos, and golf courses. In addition, this guidance provides updated hourly State Wage Cap data. Updated Unemployment Insurance (UI) Duration figures for OJT NEGs are not included in this TEGL, but are updated quarterly on doleta.gov.

To inform State Workforce Agencies (SWAs), SWA liaisons, and National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) grantees of the 2013 National Monitor Advocate Training Sessions, which will take place March 17-20, 2013, at the MAFO 2013 National Farmworker Conference in San Antonio, Texas

To transmit the updated Agricultural and Food Processing Clearance Order, ETA Form 790; Agricultural and Food Processing Clearance Memorandum, ETA Form 795; and the instructions for both forms.

To provide an update on the UI Excellence in Action initiative and announce the availability of exciting new tools designed to help states improve business processes in their unemployment insurance (UI) programs

To issue the revised Federal poverty guidelines for SCSEP eligibility determinations.

To ensure states are aware of the revised Schedule of Remuneration for the UCX program that reflects the military pay increase and is effective April 1, 2013.

To ensure states are aware of the Federal military retired pay annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) provided by the Department of Defense.

To publicize the availability of funds for the 2012 Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Research Papers Program. This initiative will provide approximately $80,000 to fund approximately 10 projects of Doctoral students interested in writing scholarly, policy-relevant research papers on topics of interest to the public workforce investment system.

To alert State Workforce Agency Administrators and Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) Executive Directors that a study of TBL in the public workforce system is being implemented and their completion of the State TBL Survey and Local TBL Survey, respectively, will support this effort. The primary purpose of these surveys is to gather up-to-date information on TBL opportunities and usage at the state and local levels, and factors that influence its adoption and design in the public workforce system.

To clarify the applicability of the able and available and work search requirements under section 303(a)(12) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to participants in demonstration projects permitted under section 305, SSA.

To provide information and additional guidance about the ETA-9130 Financial Report (9130). This TEGL should be used as a supplemental resource to 9130 financial reporting. The 9130 reporting instructions are the primary sources for detailed instructions to complete the forms. Therefore, this TEGL does not contain information about all sections or line items on the 9130; rather it only covers areas where additional clarification or guidance will help ensure consistent and accurate financial reporting.

To announce the rate of interest that the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) will charge on Title XII advances during CY 2013.

To provide information on the definition and implementation of two UI Performs Core Measures for UI Integrity.

To advise state agencies of plans to improve, streamline, and automate UCX claims processing, including plans to automate the UCX claim notification and the Quarterly Detailed Benefits Payment Data (QDBPD) by providing them in electronic format to the Federal military branches for unemployment compensation (UC) purposes.

To ensure states are aware of the locality-based salary rates for certain Federal civilian employees.

To ensure states are aware that: 1) the social security survivors and old age retirement annuities and the Federal civilian pensions annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increased to 1.7 percent for calendar year 2013; and 2) COLA information may be found on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Web site.

1. Purpose. To respond to inquiries from state workforce agencies about the correct assignment of Federal civilian service and Federal wages for purposes of establishing monetary entitlement for unemployment compensation (UC), including Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

To provide the workforce development system with information related to the 2014 General Education Development (GED®) Test series.

To announce the release and availability of the following ETA Occasional Papers:

• Investing in Labor Market Information (LMI): A Summary of the State LMI Improvement Grants
• Investing in Labor Market Information (LMI): Insights from the Recovery Act LMI Grants
• Using Real-Time LMI To Explore Green Jobs
• Disseminating Labor Market Information: Insights from the State LMI Improvement Grants
• Strategic Partnering to Advance LMI: Insights from the State LMI Improvement Grants

To advise states of the work search and overpayment offset provisions added to permanent Federal unemployment compensation (UC) law by Title II, Subtitle A of The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public Law (Pub. L.) 112-96 that may require amendments to state UC law.