The Continuing Extension Act of 2010 extended unemployment benefits for previously unemployed workers for an additional two months, extending the benefit until the beginning of June.

As part of the Temporary Extension Act of 2010, unemployment benefits were extended for another month, raising the maximum number of eligible weeks in which unemployed workers can receive benefits up from 99 to 103.

Extended unemployment insurance benefits were originally passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Several bills since November 2009 have extended the duration in which unemployed workers can receive unemloyment insurance benefits, originally extended as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. So far, lawmakers have extended unemployment benefits 3 times since ARRA was passed in February 2009, raising the maximum number of eligible weeks from 59 to over 99.

The Department of Defense appropriations bill contained a provision to extend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, while also providing more funding to help cover state administration costs fo the program and to speed up the processing of applications.

Extended food stamp program funding was originally passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

In the Department of Defense appropriations bill, an additional $13.6 billion in funding for unemployment insurance and benefits was included. The amendment included increased benefits and increased the number of weeks unemployed workers can be eligible for benefits by 20 weeks, from 79 to 99 weeks in the highest unemployment states. Unemployed workers are now eligible to receive 99 weeks of benefits beginning now through February 28, 2010.

As part of the Department of Defense appropriation bill passed in late December 2009, $6 billion was provided for COBRA health insurance subsidies. Under the bill, COBRA subsidies of 65% were expanded from nine to 15 months for recently unemployed workers, bringing the new eligibility threshold date to February 28, 2010. 

Extended COBRA subsidies were originally passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Several provisions from the 2009 stimulus bill -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) -- have been extended, expanded, and/or modified. And many more are being considered for extension.

Before the passage of the ARRA, CRFB warned that a number of provisions were in danger of being renewed or made permanent, even though they were enacted as temporary measures.

This provision would further extend unemployment benefits under the stimulus act, allowing 14 additional weeks of collections across the board. In high unemployment states, this measure will provide 14 extra weeks of benefits for all individuals but 20 for those in the high unemployment states, bringing the total number of weeks to receive unemployment benefits from 59 to 79.

Provisions are part of the $787 billion "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009," a set of policies designed to mitigate the effects of the economic crisis. The act contains significant tax breaks for individuals and corporations, among other spending provisions.

The unemployment trust fund was a risk of running out of money in August 2009. The economic recession has fueled unemployment claims, depleting unemployment budgets in 18 states. With unemployment expected to remain high through the coming months, more states are expected to request loans from the federal unemployment trust fund. The law appropriates $7.5 billion to the unemployment trust fund.