Congress Approves Fiscal 2012 Budget

The House and Senate completed the fiscal 2012 appropriations process, passing a $915 billion spending measure late Friday in the House and Saturday morning in the Senate. President Obama signed into law a one-day continuing resolution (H J Res 94) that kept the government funded through Dec. 17.

The budget agreement ensures most U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) programs will be funded at levels similar to fiscal 2011.  The conference agreement include the following:

• State set aside will not exceed five percent;
• Dislocated Workers State Grants reduced by $55 million;
• Workforce Innovation Grants reduce from approximately $100 million in the Senate bill to $50 million;
• Administration contingency funding for UI retains the same level. The Average Weekly Insured Unemployment (AWIU) is maintained at 4.832 million with an additional $28.6 million available for every 100,000 increase in the AWIU level;
• $4.094 million for State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations including a total of $60 million to conduct in-person reemployment and eligibility assessments (REA) and unemployment insurance improper payment reviews.