(a) The intent of section 599 of the Labor Law is to return the unemployed worker to the labor market with the necessary skills required to provide the claimant with the opportunity to secure employment of a substantially equal or higher skill level than the claimant's past employment. Subject to the availability of funds, additional unemployment insurance benefits provided by section 599 of the Labor Law shall be paid to a claimant who is in regular attendance at an approved career and related training program and who has exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits and, if in effect, any other extended benefits, and provided that entitlement to a new benefit claim cannot be established.

(b) In order to avoid the dissipation of limited training funds, the Commissioner of Labor is exercising discretion not to pay additional unemployment benefits based on protracted waiting periods of more than six weeks before the claimant enters training. Accordingly, no more than 12 weeks of additional unemployment insurance benefits will be paid based on the effective days of regular benefits remaining between the time a claimant is accepted in or demonstrates application for approved training and the date the claimant begins such training.

(c) Approval to receive additional benefits while attending approved career and related training is subject to the availability of funds. The Commissioner of Labor has established uniform procedures for denying additional benefits to individuals when sufficient funds are not available, and for payment of additional benefits prospectively in the event additional funds become available at a later time.