In a conference call with reporters on Thursday, John P. Pallasch, assistant secretary for employment and training at the Department of Labor, said it could take some states up to six weeks to figure out how to put a program into action.
As of Friday, funds were approved for 15 states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Keith Turi, a FEMA official, said in the call on Thursday that the initial approvals were three weeks. “We will add extra weeks from there as needed,” he said.
However, most states still control the rules issued by the federal government to determine how they implement them.
Florida mullet “the best course of action that will maintain the state’s financial stability while providing significant assistance to Floridians in need,” said Cody McCloud, Gov.’s press secretary. Ron DeSantis.
Ohio has plans to apply, but is considering what it should do to upgrade its systems, said Bret Crow, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
States have until Sept. 10 to apply for the funds.
The added benefit is likely to run out after five weeks.
To fund the program without a congressional fee, Mr. Trump set it up to pull out of federal disaster funds – a limited pool – and the administration said no more than $ 44 billion would be spent.
According to estimates by FEMA and the Department of Labor, that amount will cover four or five weeks of benefits for unemployed workers who are eligible. The funds must be retroactive until 1 August, so that recipients can only be paid through the beginning of September.
