The amount obligated pursuant to this Act may not exceed at any time the amount by which the aggregate of the amounts transferred to the account of the State of Maine pursuant to section 903(d) of the federal Social Security Act exceeds the aggregate of the amounts obligated for administration and paid out for benefits and required by law to be charged against the amounts transferred to State of Maine account.

SUMMARY

Under federal law, Reed Act funds may be used to maintain the State's unemployment and public employment system, or to pay regular unemployment benefits. Maine received $32,486,816 in Reed Act funds in 2002. This bill authorizes the use of $9,760,000 of these funds to maintain and operate the State's unemployment and employment offices and includes expanded unemployment, employment and labor market information program services for workers and employers in the State; expanded customer access options for program services; toll-free customer access to unemployment services delivered via telephone; consolidation of multiple program information system platforms; technology upgrades; and the repair and federal Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility upgrade of the primary employment security administration facility in Augusta. The sum of $22,786,816 of the Reed Act funds would remain in the federal Unemployment Trust Fund to pay unemployment benefits when needed.