Virginia is commiting close to a billion dollars from federal American Rescue Plan funding to replenish the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and accelerate critical upgrades to the Virginia Employment Commission. Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed plan will put $862 million back into Virginia’s unemployment insurance trust fund, preventing tax increases on businesses and ensuring that employers are not penalized for layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virginia will also invest close to $75 million for modernization efforts at the Virginia Employment Commission.