Notice of Listening Sessions on Implementation of Unemployment Insurance Provisions of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-96), 16074-16076 [2012-6573]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 53 / Monday, March 19, 2012 / Notices
APPENDIX—Continued
[40 TAA petitions instituted between 2/20/12 and 3/2/12]
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[FR Doc. 2012–6570 Filed 3–16–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training
Administration
Notice of Listening Sessions on
Implementation of Unemployment
Insurance Provisions of the Middle
Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act
of 2012 (Pub. L. 112–96)
Employment and Training
Administration (ETA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice and request for
participation in listening sessions.
AGENCY:
This notice announces
listening sessions designed to gain input
from employers, labor organizations,
State workforce agencies, and relevant
program experts on the implementation
of provisions of the Middle Class Tax
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012
related to Short Time Compensation
(STC) and Self Employment Assistance
(SEA) programs. Specifically the
Department of Labor (Department) is
interested in hearing from stakeholders
on the following issues:
• Model State legislation to support
implementation of the two programs;
• Guidance and technical assistance
to States; and
• Reporting requirements.
Times and Dates: The listening
sessions for the STC and SEA programs
are as follows:
SUMMARY:
Short Time Compensation
Monday, March 19, 2012 at 1 p.m. EST.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 3 p.m. EST.
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Self Employment Assistance
Monday, March 19, 2012 at 3 p.m. EST.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 1 p.m. EST.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
To Register: You must be a registered
user of Workforce3 One to participate in
the listening sessions. To register for
Workforce 3 One go to www.
workforce3one.org. To register for the
listening sessions please visit: https://
www.workforce3one.org/view/
1001206655621113753/info to register.
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Date of
institution
Subject firm (petitioners)
13:40 Mar 16, 2012
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Once an individual has registered, an
email will be sent with detailed
instructions for accessing the listening
session and for dialing into the
conference call line. The listening
sessions will be recorded. Space is
limited, so please only register for one
STC session and one SEA session.
Background: The Middle Class Tax
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012
(Pub. L. 112–96) (Act) includes within
it Title II—Unemployment Benefit
Continuation and Program
Improvement, which contains Subtitle
D—Short-Time Compensation Program,
that has new provisions that promote
significant expansion of the STC
program (also known as work sharing)
and Subtitle E—Self-Employment
Assistance, both provide incentives for
States to implement these programs.
Below are summaries of the provisions
for both the STC and SEA programs in
the Act.
Short Time Compensation Program
The Act codifies and expands the
existing definition of STC by amending
section 3306, Federal Unemployment
Tax Act (FUTA), to add a new
subsection defining ‘‘short-time
compensation program’’ as a program
under which:
• Employer participation is
voluntary;
• Employers reduce employee hours
in lieu of layoffs;
• The reduction of hours is at least 10
percent and not more than 60 percent
and employees are not disqualified from
unemployment compensation;
• Employees receive a pro rata share
of unemployment benefits that they
would have received if totally
unemployed;
• Employees meet work availability
and work search requirements if they
are available for their workweek as
required;
• Eligible employees may participate
in appropriate training, either employer
sponsored or funded under the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998;
• Employers are required to certify
that, if health and retirement benefits
are provided, those benefits will not be
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reduced due to participation in the STC
program; and
• The State unemployment insurance
agency requires the employer to submit
a written plan describing how the
requirements of this subsection will be
implemented, with an estimate of the
number of layoffs that would have
occurred but for the STC program; the
plan must be consistent with employer
obligations under Federal law.
The Act provides for a transition
period and effective date for existing
programs that can be either the date the
State changes its law or 2 years and 6
months after the enactment of the Act.
Except for the transition period, the STC
provisions are effective upon enactment,
pending guidance from the Department.
The Act provides for two ways that
States may implement and/or expand
their STC programs. To encourage States
to implement permanent STC programs,
the Act provides for 100 percent
reimbursement of the amount of STC
paid under a program meeting the new
definition for an STC program in section
3306(v), up to 26 times the amount of
regular compensation, including
dependents’ allowances, payable to the
individual under State law. However,
no payments may be made to a State for
STC benefits paid to an individual who
is employed on a seasonal, temporary,
or intermittent basis. States operating an
STC program under the old definition
will be eligible for 2 years of
reimbursement until they amend their
laws to conform to the new definition
under 3306(v). Payments are available
for STC programs for weeks of
unemployment beginning on or after
February 22, 2012, and ending on or
before the date that is 3 years and 6
months after the date of enactment.
To enable States that need to enact
new State legislation, which could take
time, the Act also provides for a
temporary Federal STC program. If a
State’s law does not provide for
payment of STC, States may enter into
an agreement with the Secretary OF
Labor (Secretary) such that the State
will be paid, by way of reimbursement,
one-half of the amount of STC paid to
individuals pursuant to the agreement,
and any additional administrative
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expenses incurred by reason of the
agreement. States that want to take
advantage of the new temporary Federal
program must enter into an agreement
with the Secretary to provide STC to
individuals. States are reimbursed onehalf of benefits paid under this option
and participating employers must pay
the remaining one-half of the amount of
STC paid by the State. The money must
be deposited into the State’s
unemployment trust fund and may not
be used to calculate the employer’s
contribution rate. An agreement entered
into under this section applies to weeks
of unemployment beginning on or after
the date on which the agreement is
entered into, and ending on or before
the date that is 2 years and 13 months
after the date of enactment of the Act.
States may receive payments under this
section ‘‘with respect to a total of not
more than 104 weeks.’’ States may
receive funding for both programs for a
total of not more than 156 weeks.
In addition to Federal reimbursement
for benefits paid to States for either a
permanent STC program or the
temporary Federal STC program, the Act
provides for grants to States for
implementation or improved
administration of enacted STC programs
and promotion and enrollment of
employers to participate in the program.
States that have an STC program that
does not meet the requirements of
section 3306(v) of the FUTA, or that
have a program under the terms of an
agreement with the Secretary, are not
eligible for grants under this section. In
addition, States with STC programs
subject to discontinuation, or which are
not scheduled to take effect within 12
months of certification, may not receive
grants. The Act provides a formula for
calculating the maximum amount of
grants available to a State, and further
provides that one-third of the maximum
incentive payment to a State is available
for implementation or improved
administration and two-thirds is
available for promotion and enrollment.
The Act also requires the Secretary to
establish a process to recoup grant funds
if it is determined that, during the 5year period beginning with the first date
a grant is awarded to a State, the State
terminated the STC program or failed to
meet appropriate requirements for the
program.
With regard to these provisions the
Secretary is required to:
• Develop and periodically review
and revise, model legislative language
that States may use to develop and enact
STC programs;
• Provide technical assistance and
guidance to States in developing,
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enacting, and implementing such
programs;
• Establish reporting requirements for
the number of estimated averted layoffs,
number of participating employers, and
other reporting as the Secretary may
require; and
• Consult with employers, labor
organizations, State workforce agencies,
and other program experts in
developing the model legislative
language, guidance, development of
reporting requirements, and delivery of
technical assistance.
Self-Employment Assistance (SEA)
Program
The Act amends extended benefits
(EB) law to add a new provision, section
208, to the Federal-State Extended
Unemployment Compensation Act of
1970. Section 208 provides authority to
States to establish an SEA program for
individuals receiving extended benefits.
Current law limits SEA participation to
individuals who are eligible to receive
‘‘regular compensation.’’ In addition,
the Act adds new section 4001(j) of the
Supplemental Appropriations Act of
2008 to make SEA programs available to
recipients of benefits under the
Emergency Unemployment
Compensation (EUC) program, if a State
chooses to create an SEA program for
EUC claimants.
Individuals may receive up to 26
weeks of SEA payments based on EUC,
EB, or combined EUC/EB eligibility. The
Act permits an individual who is
receiving SEA under an EB program to
continue to receive EUC SEA benefits
when they exhaust EB eligibility, up to
the combined eligibility limit. The Act
limits the percentage of EUC/EB
participants that may participate in SEA
to no more than 1 percent of the number
of individuals receiving benefits in
either program. Individuals may only be
approved for participation in SEA if the
agency ‘‘has a reasonable expectation
that the individual will be entitled to at
least 13 weeks’’ of EUC and/or EB
benefits. Individuals may drop out of
SEA at any time and receive the balance
of EB or EUC to which they were
initially determined eligible.
The Act also provides for grants to
States to improve administration of
existing SEA programs enacted prior to
February 22, 2012. Grants may also be
used for development, implementation,
and administration of SEA programs
established after February 22, 2012 for
regular State benefits, EB, or EUC. The
Act also authorizes the Secretary to
award grants to States to promote SEA
programs and enroll unemployed
individuals in those programs. The
amount of a grant shall be determined
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16075
based on the percentage of unemployed
individuals relative to the percentage of
unemployed individuals in all States.
Applications for grants must be
submitted to the Secretary on or before
December 31, 2013.
With regard to these provisions the
Secretary is required to:
• Develop model language, and
periodically review and revise the
model language;
• Provide technical assistance and
guidance in establishing, improving,
and administering SEA programs;
• Establish reporting requirements for
State SEA programs on, the total
number of individuals who received
unemployment compensation and were
referred to an SEA program, participated
in the SEA program, and received an
allowance under the SEA program;
• Establish reporting requirements for
State SEA programs on the total amount
of allowances provided to SEA
participants;
• Establish reporting requirements for
State SEA programs on the total income
for businesses established by
participants and the total number of
individuals employed in such
businesses;
• Establish reporting requirements for
State SEA programs on other
information the Secretary deems
appropriate; and
• Consult with employers, labor
organizations, State workforce agencies,
and other program experts in
developing the model legislative
language, guidance, development of
reporting requirements, and delivery of
technical assistance.
The Act also requires the Secretary to
utilize resources available throughout
the Department and to coordinate with
the Small Business Administration to
ensure adequate funding is reserved and
available to provide entrepreneurial
training for SEA participants.
Stakeholder Consultation Opportunities
As described above, the Secretary is
required to consult with employers,
labor organizations, State workforce
agencies, and other program experts in
developing the model legislative
language, guidance, development of
reporting requirements, and delivery of
technical assistance for both the STC
and SEA initiatives. In order to meet
this requirement and to expeditiously
develop guidance for States to
implement these programs, the
Department invites employers, labor
organizations, State workforce agencies,
other relevant program experts, and
other interested parties to participate in
the listening sessions listed above
designed to receive this input from key
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 53 / Monday, March 19, 2012 / Notices
program stakeholders. There will be two
listening sessions scheduled for each
program. In addition, a Web chat feature
will be available to enable online
contributions from participants who are
unable to provide verbal contributions
during the listening sessions due to do
the available time and number of
participants. The listening sessions will
be 90 minutes long and will be
recorded.
Mr.
Dale Ziegler, Deputy Administrator,
Office of Unemployment Insurance,
ETA, U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue NW., Room S–
4524, Washington, DC 20210.
Telephone: (202) 693–2942, (this is not
a toll-free number).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Signed at Washington, DC, this 13th day of
March 2012.
Jane Oates,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and
Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012–6573 Filed 3–16–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FW–P
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS
ADMINISTRATION
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
NARA is giving public notice
that the agency proposes to request use
of a new information collection. This
information collection is a questionnaire
designed to identify potential grant
recipients that have limited experience
with managing Federal funds. The
public is invited to comment on the
proposed information collections
pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before May 18, 2012 to
be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent
to: Paperwork Reduction Act Comments
(NHP), Room 4400, National Archives
and Records Administration, 8601
Adelphi Rd, College Park, MD 20740–
6001; or faxed to (301) 713–7409; or
electronically mailed to
tamee.fechhelm@nara.gov.
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the proposed information
collections and supporting statements
should be directed to Tamee Fechhelm
VerDate Mar<15>2010
13:40 Mar 16, 2012
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at telephone number (301) 837–1694, or
fax number (301) 713–7409.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(Public Law 104–13), NARA invites the
general public and other Federal
agencies to comment on proposed
information collections. The comments
and suggestions should address one or
more of the following points: (a)
Whether the proposed information
collection is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of NARA;
(b) the accuracy of NARA’s estimate of
the burden of the proposed information
collection; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on all
respondents, including the use of
information technology; and (e) whether
small businesses are affected by this
collection. The comments that are
submitted will be summarized and
included in the NARA request for Office
of Management and Budget (OMB)
approval. All comments will become a
matter of public record. In this notice,
NARA is soliciting comments
concerning the following information
collections:
Title: Accounting System and
Financial Capability Questionnaire.
OMB number: 3095–00XX.
Agency form numbers: NA Form
17003.
Type of review: Regular.
Affected public: Not-for-profit
institutions and State, Local, or Tribal
Government.
Estimated number of respondents:
100.
Estimated time per response: 4 hours.
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Estimated total annual burden hours:
400.
Abstract: Pursuant to the Title 2,
Section 215 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, Grants and Agreements
with Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit
Organizations (formerly Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
Circular A–110) and Office of
Management and Budget Circular A–
133, Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations, grant recipients are
required to maintain adequate
accounting controls and systems in
managing and administering Federal
funds. Some of the recipients of grants
from the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission
(NHPRC) have proven to have limited
experience with managing Federal
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funds. This questionnaire is designed to
identify those potential recipients and
provide appropriate training or
additional safeguards for Federal funds.
Additionally, the questionnaire serves
as a pre-audit function in identifying
potential deficiencies and minimizing
the risk of fraud, waste, abuse, or
mismanagement, which we use in lieu
of a more costly and time consuming
formal pre-award audit.
Dated: March 7, 2012.
Michael L. Wash,
Executive for Information Services/CIO.
[FR Doc. 2012–6564 Filed 3–16–12; 8:45 am]
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National Science Foundation
Advisory Committee for Mathematical
and Physical Sciences; Notice of
Meeting
In accordance with Federal Advisory
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, as
amended), the National Science
Foundation announces the following
meeting:
Name: Directorate for Mathematical and
Physical Sciences Advisory Committee (66).
Date/Time: April 7, 2010 8 a.m.–6 p.m.,
April 8, 2010 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Place: National Science Foundation, Room
1235, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA
22230.
Type of Meeting: Open.
Contact Person: Dr. Morris L. Aizenman,
Senior Science Associate, Directorate for
Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Room
1005, National Science Foundation, 4201
Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230.
(703) 292–8807.
Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and
recommendations concerning NSF science
and education activities within the
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical
Sciences.
Agenda
Update on current status of Directorate
Report of MPS Committee of Visitors
Report of NSF Advisory Subcommittees
Meeting of MPSAC with Divisions within
MPS Directorate
Discussion of MPS Long-term Planning
Activities
Summary Minutes: May be obtained from
the contact person listed above.
Dated: March 14, 2012.
Susanne E. Bolton,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–6572 Filed 3–16–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16074-16076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6573]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice of Listening Sessions on Implementation of Unemployment
Insurance Provisions of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation
Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-96)
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice and request for participation in listening sessions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces listening sessions designed to gain
input from employers, labor organizations, State workforce agencies,
and relevant program experts on the implementation of provisions of the
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 related to Short
Time Compensation (STC) and Self Employment Assistance (SEA) programs.
Specifically the Department of Labor (Department) is interested in
hearing from stakeholders on the following issues:
Model State legislation to support implementation of the
two programs;
Guidance and technical assistance to States; and
Reporting requirements.
Times and Dates: The listening sessions for the STC and SEA
programs are as follows:
Short Time Compensation
Monday, March 19, 2012 at 1 p.m. EST.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 3 p.m. EST.
Self Employment Assistance
Monday, March 19, 2012 at 3 p.m. EST.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 1 p.m. EST.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
To Register: You must be a registered user of Workforce3 One to
participate in the listening sessions. To register for Workforce 3 One
go to www.workforce3one.org. To register for the listening sessions
please visit: https://www.workforce3one.org/view/1001206655621113753/info to register. Once an individual has registered, an email will be
sent with detailed instructions for accessing the listening session and
for dialing into the conference call line. The listening sessions will
be recorded. Space is limited, so please only register for one STC
session and one SEA session.
Background: The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of
2012 (Pub. L. 112-96) (Act) includes within it Title II--Unemployment
Benefit Continuation and Program Improvement, which contains Subtitle
D--Short-Time Compensation Program, that has new provisions that
promote significant expansion of the STC program (also known as work
sharing) and Subtitle E--Self-Employment Assistance, both provide
incentives for States to implement these programs. Below are summaries
of the provisions for both the STC and SEA programs in the Act.
Short Time Compensation Program
The Act codifies and expands the existing definition of STC by
amending section 3306, Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), to add a
new subsection defining ``short-time compensation program'' as a
program under which:
Employer participation is voluntary;
Employers reduce employee hours in lieu of layoffs;
The reduction of hours is at least 10 percent and not more
than 60 percent and employees are not disqualified from unemployment
compensation;
Employees receive a pro rata share of unemployment
benefits that they would have received if totally unemployed;
Employees meet work availability and work search
requirements if they are available for their workweek as required;
Eligible employees may participate in appropriate
training, either employer sponsored or funded under the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998;
Employers are required to certify that, if health and
retirement benefits are provided, those benefits will not be reduced
due to participation in the STC program; and
The State unemployment insurance agency requires the
employer to submit a written plan describing how the requirements of
this subsection will be implemented, with an estimate of the number of
layoffs that would have occurred but for the STC program; the plan must
be consistent with employer obligations under Federal law.
The Act provides for a transition period and effective date for
existing programs that can be either the date the State changes its law
or 2 years and 6 months after the enactment of the Act. Except for the
transition period, the STC provisions are effective upon enactment,
pending guidance from the Department.
The Act provides for two ways that States may implement and/or
expand their STC programs. To encourage States to implement permanent
STC programs, the Act provides for 100 percent reimbursement of the
amount of STC paid under a program meeting the new definition for an
STC program in section 3306(v), up to 26 times the amount of regular
compensation, including dependents' allowances, payable to the
individual under State law. However, no payments may be made to a State
for STC benefits paid to an individual who is employed on a seasonal,
temporary, or intermittent basis. States operating an STC program under
the old definition will be eligible for 2 years of reimbursement until
they amend their laws to conform to the new definition under 3306(v).
Payments are available for STC programs for weeks of unemployment
beginning on or after February 22, 2012, and ending on or before the
date that is 3 years and 6 months after the date of enactment.
To enable States that need to enact new State legislation, which
could take time, the Act also provides for a temporary Federal STC
program. If a State's law does not provide for payment of STC, States
may enter into an agreement with the Secretary OF Labor (Secretary)
such that the State will be paid, by way of reimbursement, one-half of
the amount of STC paid to individuals pursuant to the agreement, and
any additional administrative
[[Page 16075]]
expenses incurred by reason of the agreement. States that want to take
advantage of the new temporary Federal program must enter into an
agreement with the Secretary to provide STC to individuals. States are
reimbursed one-half of benefits paid under this option and
participating employers must pay the remaining one-half of the amount
of STC paid by the State. The money must be deposited into the State's
unemployment trust fund and may not be used to calculate the employer's
contribution rate. An agreement entered into under this section applies
to weeks of unemployment beginning on or after the date on which the
agreement is entered into, and ending on or before the date that is 2
years and 13 months after the date of enactment of the Act. States may
receive payments under this section ``with respect to a total of not
more than 104 weeks.'' States may receive funding for both programs for
a total of not more than 156 weeks.
In addition to Federal reimbursement for benefits paid to States
for either a permanent STC program or the temporary Federal STC
program, the Act provides for grants to States for implementation or
improved administration of enacted STC programs and promotion and
enrollment of employers to participate in the program. States that have
an STC program that does not meet the requirements of section 3306(v)
of the FUTA, or that have a program under the terms of an agreement
with the Secretary, are not eligible for grants under this section. In
addition, States with STC programs subject to discontinuation, or which
are not scheduled to take effect within 12 months of certification, may
not receive grants. The Act provides a formula for calculating the
maximum amount of grants available to a State, and further provides
that one-third of the maximum incentive payment to a State is available
for implementation or improved administration and two-thirds is
available for promotion and enrollment. The Act also requires the
Secretary to establish a process to recoup grant funds if it is
determined that, during the 5-year period beginning with the first date
a grant is awarded to a State, the State terminated the STC program or
failed to meet appropriate requirements for the program.
With regard to these provisions the Secretary is required to:
Develop and periodically review and revise, model
legislative language that States may use to develop and enact STC
programs;
Provide technical assistance and guidance to States in
developing, enacting, and implementing such programs;
Establish reporting requirements for the number of
estimated averted layoffs, number of participating employers, and other
reporting as the Secretary may require; and
Consult with employers, labor organizations, State
workforce agencies, and other program experts in developing the model
legislative language, guidance, development of reporting requirements,
and delivery of technical assistance.
Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) Program
The Act amends extended benefits (EB) law to add a new provision,
section 208, to the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation
Act of 1970. Section 208 provides authority to States to establish an
SEA program for individuals receiving extended benefits. Current law
limits SEA participation to individuals who are eligible to receive
``regular compensation.'' In addition, the Act adds new section 4001(j)
of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 to make SEA programs
available to recipients of benefits under the Emergency Unemployment
Compensation (EUC) program, if a State chooses to create an SEA program
for EUC claimants.
Individuals may receive up to 26 weeks of SEA payments based on
EUC, EB, or combined EUC/EB eligibility. The Act permits an individual
who is receiving SEA under an EB program to continue to receive EUC SEA
benefits when they exhaust EB eligibility, up to the combined
eligibility limit. The Act limits the percentage of EUC/EB participants
that may participate in SEA to no more than 1 percent of the number of
individuals receiving benefits in either program. Individuals may only
be approved for participation in SEA if the agency ``has a reasonable
expectation that the individual will be entitled to at least 13 weeks''
of EUC and/or EB benefits. Individuals may drop out of SEA at any time
and receive the balance of EB or EUC to which they were initially
determined eligible.
The Act also provides for grants to States to improve
administration of existing SEA programs enacted prior to February 22,
2012. Grants may also be used for development, implementation, and
administration of SEA programs established after February 22, 2012 for
regular State benefits, EB, or EUC. The Act also authorizes the
Secretary to award grants to States to promote SEA programs and enroll
unemployed individuals in those programs. The amount of a grant shall
be determined based on the percentage of unemployed individuals
relative to the percentage of unemployed individuals in all States.
Applications for grants must be submitted to the Secretary on or before
December 31, 2013.
With regard to these provisions the Secretary is required to:
Develop model language, and periodically review and revise
the model language;
Provide technical assistance and guidance in establishing,
improving, and administering SEA programs;
Establish reporting requirements for State SEA programs
on, the total number of individuals who received unemployment
compensation and were referred to an SEA program, participated in the
SEA program, and received an allowance under the SEA program;
Establish reporting requirements for State SEA programs on
the total amount of allowances provided to SEA participants;
Establish reporting requirements for State SEA programs on
the total income for businesses established by participants and the
total number of individuals employed in such businesses;
Establish reporting requirements for State SEA programs on
other information the Secretary deems appropriate; and
Consult with employers, labor organizations, State
workforce agencies, and other program experts in developing the model
legislative language, guidance, development of reporting requirements,
and delivery of technical assistance.
The Act also requires the Secretary to utilize resources available
throughout the Department and to coordinate with the Small Business
Administration to ensure adequate funding is reserved and available to
provide entrepreneurial training for SEA participants.
Stakeholder Consultation Opportunities
As described above, the Secretary is required to consult with
employers, labor organizations, State workforce agencies, and other
program experts in developing the model legislative language, guidance,
development of reporting requirements, and delivery of technical
assistance for both the STC and SEA initiatives. In order to meet this
requirement and to expeditiously develop guidance for States to
implement these programs, the Department invites employers, labor
organizations, State workforce agencies, other relevant program
experts, and other interested parties to participate in the listening
sessions listed above designed to receive this input from key
[[Page 16076]]
program stakeholders. There will be two listening sessions scheduled
for each program. In addition, a Web chat feature will be available to
enable online contributions from participants who are unable to provide
verbal contributions during the listening sessions due to do the
available time and number of participants. The listening sessions will
be 90 minutes long and will be recorded.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dale Ziegler, Deputy
Administrator, Office of Unemployment Insurance, ETA, U.S. Department
of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room S-4524, Washington, DC
20210. Telephone: (202) 693-2942, (this is not a toll-free number).
Signed at Washington, DC, this 13th day of March 2012.
Jane Oates,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-6573 Filed 3-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FW-P
