Summary
On July 22, 2014, Congress passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, P.L. 113-128), the first major reauthorization of the national workforce system since the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. In addition to reauthorizing workforce programs, WIOA requires states to implement major administrative and programmatic changes. Although the law allows states to set aside funding from major workforce programs to assist in the implementation, states have expressed concern over the costs of complying with the new requirements. In response, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced additional flexibility for states in the use of funds previously appropriated for various workforce programs. This Issue Brief provides an overview of the funds that states have been authorized to redirect to WIOA implementation.