To advise State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) of the Department's policy concerning independent verification and validation (IV&V) of year 2000 compliance of SESAs' unemployment insurance (UI) automated benefit and tax systems; to provide guidelines for use in performing IV&V; and to require the submission of IV&V plans.

To transmit most recent economic data for SDA-level adjustments to performance standards models for Program Years (PY) 1998 and 1999 for Titles II-A, II-C, III, and Section 204(d), plus the accompanying worksheets. This information is used to apply the o

To provide clarification regarding the availability and maximum time periods of these two tax credits and how employers can claim them.

To inform the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and Employment Service network of steps being taken in the redirection of the Federal Bonding Program.

To advise State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) of procedural changes in the handling of interstate claims and of the elimination of certain IB forms.

To provide States with Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Planning Guidance and Instructions for Annual State Plans and planning allocations for fiscal year (FY) 1999.

To transmit the subject computation for State Employment Security Agency (SESA) usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for ail major disasters declared during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 1998.

To announce the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/Department of Labor (DOL) Welfare Reform Promising Practices National Conferences.

To announce the Department of Labor s (DOL) plans for conducting customer satisfaction surveys of individuals involved in the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program (SYETP).

To transmit the OMB approved changes to the Title II JTPA Quarterly Financial Status Report (JQSR) and instructions for the JQSR for use by the States.