UPGRADED HARDWARE AND DV SOFTWARE VERSION 3.0 RELEASED, NOVEMBER 2009

By the middle of November, the next generation Sun computers were installed in all states. The new computers are loaded with DV software Version 3.0. This release corrects bugs that: (a) occasionally let additional sample cases to be drawn; (b) mishandled some duplicate records in Benefits Populations 3, 3a, and 13; (c) incorrectly rejected certain records in Benefits Population 14; (d) incorrectly rounded values in Populations 10 and 11 and truncated instead of rounded dollar values ending in cents; and (e) caused a malfunction in one of the Tax Population 1 data element sorts. It also corrects some table references and Help screen messages. These and other changes associated with the upgrade are outlined in the Version 3.0 Release Notes. See "In This Section."

REVISED WAGE ITEMS VALIDATION (MODULE 5) INSTRUCTIONS, NOVEMBER 2009

Revised guidance on Module 5 validation has been added to "In This section". The new procedures reflect current state procedures for processing wage records and specify a two-stage sampling process for selecting the wage records to be recounted. These samples require the review of fewer wage records while yielding more statistically definitive results. The existing DV Tax software accommodates most, but not all, results obtained using the new instructions. The next DV software release will contain revised Module 5 software.

EIGHT STATES RECEIVE SBR AWARDS FOR IV & V – OCTOBER 2009

As part of a Supplement Benefit Request (SBR) process for FY 2009, eight states received awards to have an outside organization conduct an Independent Validation and Verification of their DV extract files: Alabama; Arkansas; Maine; Mississippi; Nebraska; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico. In addition, New York and South Dakota received SBR funds to correct reporting software that DV showed were producing erroneous counts. These funds must be obligated by September 30, 2011; funds must be expended by December 30, 2011 unless an extension has been granted.

NEW POSTINGS – AUGUST 2009

Posted for your information are DV results for VY 2009 and Validation Items Due for VY 2010. Also, we are in the process of revising and updating materials from the Benefits and Tax Handbooks. "In this section" now includes updated Appendix A (Subpopulation Specifications) tables for Benefits, and a revised guidance for building LADT records for Benefits Populations 1 and 3 and building CWC records for Benefits Populations 3 and 4.

DUE DATE FOR SUBMITTING DV RESULTS CHANGED, APRIL 2009

Effective immediately, the due date for all DV submissions is changed from May 10 to June 10. Results for VY 2009 will be due June 10, 2009. Not only will this new date give validators more time to complete validations but because it is three weeks after the May 20 reporting date for the 1st quarter ETA 581 report, validators will now be able to validate tax results for the first calendar quarter if they so choose. The change increases the number of quarterly Tax reports that can be validated for Populations 1, 3, 4 and 5 from three to four, and the number of quarters that can be validated for Population 2 (Report Delinquency) from two to three.

Past updates can be read here.

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