Summary: UIPL 13-26 - FY 2026 RESEA Program Guidance

This is an Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration providing fiscal year 2026 operating guidance and funding allotments for the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program. The document outlines program requirements, funding mechanisms, service delivery standards, and reporting obligations for state workforce agencies administering RESEA grants.

The FY 2026 total available funding is $467,000,000, distributed across three streams: 89 percent ($415,630,000) via base-funding formula, 10 percent ($46,700,000) for outcome payments, and 1 percent ($4,670,000) reserved for Department research and technical assistance. States must submit RESEA State Plans by August 28, 2026, via Grants.gov and email to OUI.RESEA@dol.gov. The period of performance is 2.5 years (January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028). Base funding allocations by state are detailed in Attachment I, with hold harmless provisions ensuring states receive at least 95 percent of FY 2025 allotments and minimum funding of $498,400. Carry-over limits apply, with assessments performed on FY 2023–2026 awards at 30 percent maximums through FY 2029. States must dedicate at least 40 percent of FY 2026 RESEA funds to evidence-based interventions with high or moderate causal ratings, increasing to 50 percent in FY 2027. Required services include initial RESEA eligibility reviews, customized labor market information, Wagner-Peyser Employment Service co-enrollment, individualized reemployment plans, and reemployment service referrals. States must ensure UI benefit eligibility reviews reference actual work search activity logs, co-enroll all RESEA participants in Employment Service programs, and maintain secure feedback loops between RESEA providers and state UI agencies for adjudication of identified compliance issues. Performance monitoring occurs through Workforce Integrated Performance System (WIPS) data, ETA 9128 and 9129 quarterly reports, ETA 9178 narrative reports, and State Quality Service Plan reviews; states with reemployment rates below performance targets for three consecutive years must submit corrective action plans.