[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5229]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 8, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

20 CFR Part 626

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training

20 CFR Part 1005

 

Job Training Partnership Act: Veterans' Employment Programs Under 
Title IV, Part C; Removal of Regulations

AGENCY: The Employment and Training Administration and the Office of 
the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training, Labor.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Employment and Training Administration and the Office of 
the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training (OASVET) 
propose to remove regulations for Veterans' Employment Programs 
authorized under title IV, part C, of the Job Training Partnership Act. 
Removal of the regulations is proposed because of the reduced number of 
states applying for state formula allocated monies, and the need to 
improve the delivery of services. Upon removal as proposed, a more 
competitive process will be established to increase effectiveness and 
the efficiency of the program.

DATES: Written comments must be received no later than April 7, 1994. 
Draft copies of the proposed rule were provided to States at an earlier 
date.

ADDRESSES: Comments shall be addressed to the Assistant Secretary for 
Veterans' Employment and Training, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; Attention: Mr. Hary P. 
Puente-Duany, Office of Veterans' Employment, Reemployment and 
Training, room S-1316.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Hary P. Puente-Duany at (202) 219-9110 (this is not a toll-free 
number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) 
establishes programs to prepare youth and adults facing serious 
barriers to employment for participation in the labor force by 
providing job training and other services that will result in increased 
employment and earnings, increased educational and occupational skills, 
and decreased welfare dependency, thereby improving the quality of the 
United States work force and enhancing the productivity and 
competitiveness of the Nation. General program requirements for JTPA 
programs are set forth at JTPA section 141.
    Pursuant to title IV, part C, of JTPA, the Secretary of Labor 
conducts programs to meet the employment and training needs of service-
connected disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam era, and veterans 
who are recently separated from military service. These programs are 
described at JTPA section 441. The programs are administered through 
the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training, 
who conducts the programs through grants, contracts, and cooperative 
agreements with public agencies and private non-profit organizations.
    The Department of Labor (DOL) issued regulations at 20 CFR part 
1005 to more specifically define the manner in which the funds from 
this program would be disbursed. See 54 FR 39354 (September 26, 1989); 
and 48 FR 49198 (October 24, 1983). Program administration will be 
greatly enhanced as the result of the elimination of these regulations 
by increasing competition and lowering administration costs through 
larger grant amounts.
    Part 1005 identifies the process used to provide grant funds to 
states for Federal training programs for veterans. At the conclusion of 
this rulemaking, it is anticipated that for Program Year 1994 (July 1, 
1994, through June 30, 1995), a Solicitation for Grant Applications 
(SGA) will be developed and disseminated, in lieu of regulations for 
the title IV-C programs. The present formula-based annual grants will 
be replaced by multi-year competitive grants. This will result in fewer 
grants of greater dollar value, and will enable recipients of the 
grants to extend expanded service(s) to eligible veterans. Eligibility 
for grant application will be based on the statute and the Solicitation 
for Grant Applications.
    Since the inception of Veterans' Employment Programs, the funding 
available for distribution to the States has decreased, thus making the 
``formula grants to States'' process less efficient and less effective, 
compared to other JTPA titles and similar programs. In Program Year 
1992, only 38 States participated in the JTPA title IV-C program. Many 
smaller States elected not to participate rather than receiving the 
minimum allocation of $55,000. By having larger competitive grants, 
services can be targeted to those eligible veterans in the ``most 
needed'' areas. Greater customer satisfaction is expected to be 
realized.
    Immediate results will manifest themselves in the form of: 
Eliminated regulations; larger, but fewer grants; replacement of the 
``old'' SGA process with SGA's that can be renewed, modified or changed 
as deemed necessary and drawn to incorporate by reference the essential 
parts and requirements of the JTPA and the Departmental JTPA 
regulations. See, e.g., 20 CFR parts 627 and 636; and 29 CFR parts 96-
98. It will be possible for JTPA title IV-C programs to be created to 
better enhance and complement other JTPA programs that do not focus on 
veterans' services, while continuing efforts to improve the targeting 
of employment and training services to eligible veterans who face 
serious barriers to employment. Larger multi-year grants will allow for 
enhancement of the quality of services provided and the outcomes 
attained by strengthening program activity through increased efficiency 
in the management of grants, improving the linkages between services 
provided and local labor market needs, and ensuring the provision of a 
coherent system of outcome-oriented human resource services through 
changes in the direction and focus of the Veterans' Employment Programs 
to eligible veterans.
    It is important to complete all tasks necessary to remove the 
present JTPA title IV-C regulations to have appropriate authority and 
flexibility to announce and issue an SGA for program year 1994, in the 
manner detailed above.
    This rulemaking supersedes that portion of the rulemaking announced 
at 56 FR 5124 (February 7, 1991) that related to JTPA title IV-C 
programs. In the comment period on that proposed rule (February 7 
through April 8, 1991) no substantive comments were received with 
respect to the proposals related to JTPA title IV-C regulations.

Proposed Rule

    Accordingly, it is proposed that title 20, Code of Federal 
Regulations, be amended as follows:

CHAPTER V--EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

PART 626--INTRODUCTION TO THE REGULATIONS UNDER THE JOB TRAINING 
PARTNERSHIP ACT

    1. The authority citation for part 626 continues as follows:

    Authority: 29 U.S.C. 1579(a); Sec. 6305f), Public Law 100-418, 
102 Stat. 1107; 29 U.S.C. 179i(e).


Sec. 626.2  [Amended]

    2. Section 626.2 is amended by removing from paragraph (a) the 
phrase ``, with the exception of the veterans' employment program's 
chapter IX regulations of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Veterans' Employment and Training, which are set forth as part 1005 of 
title 20''.


Sec. 626.3  [Amended]

    3. Section 626.3 is amended by removing from paragraph (a) the 
phrase ``and part 1005 of chapter IX (Veterans' employment programs 
under title IV, part C of the Job Training Partnership Act)''.


Sec. 626.4  [Amended]

    4. Section 626.4 is amended:
    a. By removing from the introductory text the citation ``and 
1005''; and
    b. By removing from the consolidated table of contents the entry 
for part 1005 of chapter IX.

CHAPTER IX--OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT 
AND TRAINING, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

PART 1005--VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS UNDER TITLE IV, PART C OF 
THE JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT (REMOVED)

    5. Part 1005 of Chapter IX is removed.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of March, 1994.
Douglas Ross,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training.

Preston M. Taylor, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training.
[FR Doc. 94-5229 Filed 3-7-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-79-M