To provide procedural guidance to State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) on processing of requests for certification under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit (WtWTC) after these tax credits expired on December 31, 2003. This guidance covers the period January 1 - September 30, 2004. If the WOTC and WtWTC program has not been reauthorized by September 30, 2004, additional guidance will be issued.

To provide adjusted funding levels for Program Year (PY) 2003 allotments for the Dislocated Worker program under WIA Title I Section 132(c) through the recapture and reallotment mechanism.

To announce the extension of the form ETA-227 for reporting benefit payment control activities.

To encourage attendance and participation at the "United We Ride National Leadership Forum", February 23-25, 2004, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of Labor is pleased to be a co-sponsor of this Forum in partnership with other agencies in the Departments of Transportation, Education, and Health and Human Services. Letters to Governors have been sent from the four Secretaries asking teams of three to five senior decision-makers to attend the Forum, including a representative of the Workforce Investment Board. A copy of the letter is attached for your information.

To inform the state and local workforce investment system of the policies and priorities that will govern the award and use of the Secretary's discretionary National Emergency Grant (NEG) Dislocated Worker funds, pursuant to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title I, Section 173, as amended.

To inform State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) of the 2004 Monitor Advocate Training being held in San Antonio, Texas, April 13-16, 2004.

To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency use in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared during the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2004.

To transmit the revised Federal Schedule of Remuneration for the UCX program based on the January 1, 2004, military pay increase.

To transmit Federal military retired pay due to annual cost of living adjustments(COLAs).

To provide State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) corrected instructions concerning augmentation of Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation for displaced airline and related workers (TEUC-A) during the transition period.