Unemployment and Employment Programs Available to Workers from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi Affected by Hurricane Katrina

Publication Date: June 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Labor

Type:

Abstract:

A variety of unemployment and employment programs are available to unemployed workers in three of the states affected by Hurricane Katrina: Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Unemployment Compensation (UC)/Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits and Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are currently available to unemployed workers in these states. State unemployment taxes on employers pay for regular UC benefits. DUA benefits are federally funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) through each state's UC agency. A contact list is provided for current or evacuated residents in order for them to apply for available unemployment benefits. Another income support program that may become available to workers is the Extended Benefit (EB) program. Currently the EB program is active in Louisiana. This report also briefly summarizes the most recent Temporary Extension of Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program. As of this writing, there is no TEUC program available to workers affected by Hurricane Katrina. The EB and TEUC programs would provide extensions to UC benefits (although not to DUA benefits) if triggered or activated.

Affected workers may be eligible for employment and job training programs authorized under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). These programs include National Emergency Grants (NEG), which fund disaster relief employment, and adult and dislocated worker training. These programs are administered by DOL.

On September 23, 2005, the President signed P.L. 109-72, the Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act into law. On October 20, 2005, the President signed P.L. 109-91, the QI, TMA, and Abstinence Programs Extension and Hurricane Katrina Unemployment Relief Act of 2005. On March 6, 2006, Congress enacted P.L. 109176, the Katrina Emergency Assistance Act of 2006. Section 2 of this law extended DUA benefits for persons eligible under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by reason of Hurricane Katrina for an additional 13 weeks. This report briefly describes this and other relevant legislation introduced in the 109th Congress, including S. 1637, the Katrina Emergency Relief Act; H.R. 3774, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2005; H.R. 3952, the Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005, S. 1716, the Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005; S. 1718, the Hurricane Katrina Employment and Training Assistance Act; S. 1765 and S. 1766, the Louisiana Katrina Reconstruction Acts; S. 1777, the Katrina Emergency Assistance Act of 2005; S. 1925, the Rebuild with Respect Act; H.R. 4197, the Hurricane Katrina Recovery, Reclamation, Restoration, Reconstruction and Reunion Act of 2005; H.R. 5392, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and, S. 3030, to extend the period for unemployment compensation under the Katrina Emergency Assistance Act of 2006.