[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 44720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18603]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

20 CFR Part 618

RIN 1205-AB56


Trade Adjustment Assistance; Merit Staffing of State 
Administration and Allocation of Training Funds to States; 
Clarification for the Rulemaking Record

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Final rule; clarification for the rulemaking record.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides, for the rulemaking record, information 
that was inadvertently omitted from the final rule in the Federal 
Register on April 2, 2010 (75 FR 16988) promulgating Trade Adjustment 
Assistance (TAA) regulations requiring States to use merit personnel 
systems in their administration of the TAA program, and prescribing a 
formula for allocating TAA training funds to the States.

DATES: Effective July 29, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Fitzgerald, 202-693-3560; (this 
is not a toll-free number). TDD: 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Employment and Training Administration 
(ETA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on April 2, 2010 
(75 FR 16988) promulgating Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) 
regulations requiring States to use merit personnel systems in their 
administration of the TAA program, and prescribing a formula for 
allocating TAA training funds to the States. This rule was effective 
May 3, 2010. This merit personnel system requirement is a condition for 
States receiving TAA funds as well as for State participation in the 
TAA program. OPM regulations (5 CFR 900.605) provide that, ``Federal 
agencies may adopt regulations that require the establishment of a 
merit personnel system as a condition for receiving Federal assistance 
or otherwise participating in an intergovernmental program only with 
the prior approval of the Office of Personnel Management.'' Because 
OPM's approval was not printed as part of the April 2, 2010 Federal 
Register notice, this notice clarifies for the record that OPM gave 
prior approval to the Department of Labor adopting these merit 
personnel system regulations for the TAA program.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 21st day of July 2010.
Jane Oates,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-18603 Filed 7-28-10; 8:45 am]
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