Hawaii will receive funds from the U.S. Dept. of Labor to make technology upgrades that will improve the operation and security of unemployment insurance systems.

The grant is part of a $164.5 million package that will go to 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to be used for a variety of projects designed to improve services for both unemployment insurance claimants and employers, the DOL says. These include modernizing systems to improve and speed unemployment insurance benefit payments, tax collections and appeals processing; helping consumers avoid debit card fees when collecting benefits; improvements in information technology contingency and security plans; and strategies to improve overall program integrity, the DOL says.