[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10706-10708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2979]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[OMB Number 1230-0002]


Office of Disability Employment Policy; Solicitation of 
Nominations for the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award

    The Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award presented by 
Secretary Elaine L. Chao, United States

[[Page 10707]]

Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20210:
    1. Subject: The Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award.
    2. Purpose: To outline the eligibility criteria, the nomination 
process and the administrative procedures for the New Freedom 
Initiative Award, and to solicit the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom 
Initiative Award nominations.
    3. Originator: Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).
    4. Background: To encourage the use of public-private partnerships, 
the Secretary of Labor will present the Secretary of Labor's New 
Freedom Initiative Award. Initiated in 2002, this award is made 
annually to individual(s), non-profit organization(s), or business(es), 
that have, through programs or activities, demonstrated exemplary and 
innovative efforts in furthering the employment objectives of President 
George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative. See http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedominitiative/freedominitiative.html.
    By increasing access to assistive technologies, and by utilizing 
innovative training, hiring, and retention strategies, the recipient(s) 
will have established and instituted comprehensive strategies to 
enhance the ability of Americans with disabilities to enter and advance 
within the 21st Century workforce and to participate in daily community 
life.
    5. Eligibility Criteria: The following criteria apply to the New 
Freedom Initiative Award Nominees:
    A. The nominees must be individuals, businesses, or non-profit 
organizations whose activities exemplify the goals of President George 
W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative, which include the Office of 
Disability Employment Policy's mission of increasing employment 
opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. Nominations may 
be submitted by other persons and entities with the knowledge and 
permission of the nominee. Self-nomination is also encouraged.
    B. Nominees must have developed and implemented a multi-faceted 
program directed toward increasing employment opportunities for people 
with disabilities through increased access to assistive technologies, 
and use of innovative training, hiring, and retention techniques.
    C. Federal, State and local government organizations are not 
eligible for this award.
    6. Nomination Submission Requirements:
    A. The single program or multiple programs for which the individual 
or company is being nominated must demonstrate a commitment to people 
with disabilities, and clearly show measurable results in terms of 
significantly enhancing employment opportunities for people with 
disabilities. The programs or activities may also address such issues 
as the widening skills gap among persons with disabilities, a 
diversified 21st Century workforce, and discrimination based on 
disability.
    B. The nomination packages should be limited to only that 
information relevant to the nominee's program(s). Nomination packages 
should be no longer than twenty (20) typed pages double-spaced. A page 
is 8.5 x 11 (on one side only) with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and 
sides).
    C. Nomination packages must include the following for 
consideration:
    1. An executive summary prepared by or on behalf of the nominee, 
which clearly identifies the specific activities, program(s), or 
establishment under nomination and fully describes the results 
achieved.
    2. A full description of the specific activities, program(s), or 
establishment for which the nomination is being submitted.
    3. Specific data on training, placements, resources expended and 
other relevant information that will facilitate evaluation of the 
nominee's submission.
    4. A description of how the program(s) and/or activities that are 
the subject of the nomination have had a positive and measurable impact 
on the employment of people with disabilities.
    5. A data summary on the nominee. See section 6(D).
    6. A report detailing any unresolved violations of State or Federal 
law, as determined by compliance evaluations, complaint investigations, 
or other Federal inspections and investigations. In addition, the 
nominee must report any pending Federal or State enforcement actions, 
and any corrective actions or consent decrees that have resulted from 
litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the laws 
enforced by the Department of Labor (DOL).
    D. A data summary on the Nominee will include the following:
    1. Name(s) of the individual, organization or business being 
nominated.
    2. Full street address, telephone number and e-mail address where 
applicable.
    3. Name of highest ranking official(s) (where appropriate).
    4. Name of executive(s) responsible for human resources, equal 
employment opportunity, and/or disability awareness at nominee's 
establishment and/or corporate office (where appropriate).
    5. Name of parent company (where appropriate).
    6. Name, street address, telephone number and e-mail address of CEO 
or President of parent company (where appropriate).
    7. Name, title, street address, telephone number and e-mail address 
of a contact person.
    8. Number of employees at the establishment or business being 
nominated (where appropriate).
    9. Name and description of principal program(s) or service(s).
    E. Timing and Acceptable Methods of Submission of Nominations:
    Nomination packages must be submitted to Secretary of Labor's New 
Freedom Initiative Award, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Room 
S-1303, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210 by May 31, 
2006. Any application received after 4:45 p.m. EDT on May 31, 2006, 
will not be considered unless it was received before the award is made 
and:
    1. It was sent by registered or certified mail no later than May 
26, 2006.
    2. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the U.S. 
Department of Labor at the address indicated; or
    3. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service--Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. EDT at the 
place of mailing, May 30, 2006.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, 
an application received after the above closing time and date will be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped, or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore, applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
the U.S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Office of 
Disability

[[Page 10708]]

Employment Policy on the application wrapper or other documentary 
evidence or receipt maintained by that office.
    Applications sent by other delivery services, such as Federal 
Express, UPS, e-mail, etc., will also be accepted; however, the 
applicant bears the responsibility of timely submission.
    Confirmation of receipt of your application can be made by 
contacting Margaret Roffee of the Office of Disability Employment 
Policy, [email protected], telephone (202) 693-7880, (866) ODEP-
DOL, TTY (202) 693-7881, prior to the closing deadline.
    7. The Administrative Review Process:
    A. The ODEP Steering Committee will perform preliminary 
administrative review to determine the sufficiency of all submitted 
application packages.
    B. An Executive Evaluation Committee made up of representatives 
appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Labor, Office of Disability 
Employment Policy, from Department of Labor employees will perform 
secondary review.
    C. The Secretary of Labor will conduct the final review and 
selections.
    8. Other Factors to be Considered During the Administrative Review 
Process:
    A. If a nominee merges with another company during the evaluation 
process, only that information relative to the nominated company will 
be evaluated, and the award, if any, will be limited to the nominated 
company.
    B. Prior receipt of this award will not preclude a nominee from 
being considered for the New Freedom Initiative Award in subsequent 
years. Programs and activities serving as the basis of a prior award, 
however, may not be considered as the basis for a subsequent award 
application.
    9. Procedures Following Selection:
    A. Awardees will be notified of their selection via the contact 
person identified in the application package at least six weeks prior 
to the awards ceremony. Non-selected nominees will also be notified 
within 45 days of the selection of the awardees.
    B. As a precondition to acceptance of the award, the nominee agrees 
to:
    1. Submit to ODEP for review a two-minute video of the program(s) 
or activity(ies) for which it is being recognized within 30 days of 
notification of award selection;
    2. Participate in any New Freedom Initiative workshops hosted by 
ODEP in conjunction with or within 12 months following the awards 
ceremony.
    C. The awardee may also display an exhibit or showcase of the 
program(s)/activity(ies) for which it is being recognized at the awards 
ceremony, with contents of the display submitted to ODEP for review 
within 30 days of notification of award selection.
    D. Materials developed by the awardees in conjunction with section 
11(B) and (C) will be subject to legal review at the Department of 
Labor to ensure compliance with applicable ethics standards.
    10. Location: The awards ceremony will generally be held during the 
month of October at a location to be determined by the Secretary of 
Labor.
    Paperwork Reduction Act Notice (Pub. L. 104-13): Persons are not 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. 
This collection of information is approved under OMB Number 1230-0002 
(Expiration Date: December 31, 2008). The obligation to respond to this 
information collection is voluntary; however, only nominations that 
follow the nomination procedures outlined in this notice will receive 
consideration. The average time to respond to this information of 
collection is estimated to be 10 hours per response; including the time 
for reviewing instructions, researching existing data sources, 
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing 
the collection of information. Submit comments regarding this estimate; 
including suggestions for reducing response time to the U.S. Department 
of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Room S-1303, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Please reference OMB 
Number 1230-0002.
    We are very interested in your thoughts and suggestions about your 
experience in preparing and filing this nomination packet for the 
Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award. Your comments will 
be very useful to the Office of Disability Employment Policy in making 
improvements in our solicitation for nominations for this award in 
subsequent years. All comments are strictly voluntary and strictly 
private. We would appreciate your taking a few minutes to tell us--for 
example, whether you thought the instructions were sufficiently clear; 
what you liked or disliked; what worked or didn't work; whether it 
satisfied your need for information or if it didn't, or anything else 
that you think is important for us to know. Your comments will be most 
helpful if you can be very specific in relating your experience.
    We value your comments, and would really like to hear from you.
    Please send any comments you have to Margaret Roffee at 
[email protected] or via mail to the Office of Disability 
Employment Policy, Room S-1303, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 24th day of February, 2006.
Roy Grizzard,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-2979 Filed 3-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-23-P