Department of Labor April 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under Section 182(d) of the WIA of 1998, ETA is publishing the PY 2005 allocations for the NFJP, authorized under Section 167 of the WIA. The allocations are distributed to the states by a formula that estimates, by state, the relative demand for NFJP services. The allocations in this notice apply to the PY beginning July 1, 2005.

The U.S. Department of Labor (the Department or DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of National Programs (ONP), Division of Seasonal Farmworker Programs (DSFP), announces a grant competition for operating the housing assistance portion of the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), under Section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29 U.S.C. 9201. All applicants for grant funds should read this notice in its entirety. Section 167, paragraph (a) of WIA requires the Secretary to award grants or contracts on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purposes of carrying out the activities authorized under Section 167. Although housing assistance is identified in WIA as one of the allowable activities under the NFJP, Congressional appropriations language directs the Department to make available a specific amount of the funds appropriated for the NFJP for migrant and seasonal farmworkers housing assistance grants, and that no less than 70 percent of the specified amount must be used for permanent housing activities. Therefore, under this solicitation, of the $4,544,682 appropriated for NFJP housing assistance, approximately $3,131,217 will be available for permanent housing assistance and approximately $1,413,465 for temporary and/or emergency housing assistance. Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is May 27, 2005. Applications must be received at the address below no later than 5 p.m. eastern time.

Pursuant to section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463; 5 U.S.C. APP. 1), notice is hereby given of an open meeting of the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA). Time and Date: The meeting will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May 16th, and continue until approximately 5 p.m. The meeting will reconvene at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17th, and continue until approximately 4 p.m. The final meeting day will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18th, and adjourn at 12 noon. Place: Hilton Crystal City, 2399 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202, (703) 418-6800. The agenda is subject to change due to time constraints and priority items which may come before the Committee between the time of this publication and the scheduled date of the ACA meeting.

This document corrects final regulations that were published in the Federal Register on December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78720) governing portability requirements for group health plans and issuers of health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $15 million in Responsible Reintegration of Youthful Offender grant funds to address the specific workforce challenges of youth offenders and to utilize strategies that prepare them for new and increasing job opportunities in high-growth/high-demand and economically vital industries and sectors of the American economy. Projects funded under this competition will be consistent with both the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative and DOL's Youth Vision. Grant funds awarded under this competition can be used to implement a variety of approaches to helping youth offenders enter high-growth/ high-demand industries, including occupational training provided by organizations that grant industry-recognized credentials; on-the-job training, apprenticeships, internships, and other work-based learning opportunities; job placement efforts; reading and math remediation to assist youth offenders succeed in education and training programs; efforts to help youth offenders already employed upgrade to skilled positions; and efforts to help youth offenders enter community colleges and four-year colleges. Each application must reflect a strategic partnership between the public workforce system, business representatives from high-growth/ high-demand industries, the education and training community, and the juvenile justice system. Partnerships with the child welfare agency and with faith-based and community organizations are also encouraged. It is anticipated that individual awards will average $1 million for the first year of operation to serve 200 youth per site.

International Chimney Corporation, Karrena International, LLC, and Matrix Service Industrial Contractors, Inc. (``the employers'') have applied for a permanent variance from the provisions of the OSHA standards that regulate boatswains' chairs and hoist towers, specifically paragraph (o)(3) of Sec. 1926.452 and paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(4), (c)(8), (c)(13), (c)(14)(i), and (c)(16) of Sec. 1926.552. In addition, the employers have requested an interim order based on the alternative conditions specified by the variance application. Since these conditions are the same as the conditions specified in the most recent permanent variance granted by the Agency for these boatswains'-chair and hoist-tower provisions, OSHA is granting the applicants' request for interim orders.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announces that OMB has extended its approval for a number of information collection requirements found in sections of 29 CFR parts 1910 and 1926. OSHA sought approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA-95), and, as required by that Act, is announcing the approval numbers and expiration dates for those requirements.

The Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, is providing notice of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Departments of Justice and Labor (MOU), signed January 18, 2005. The MOU describes the responsibilities of each agency in the performance of functions under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Act). The purpose of the MOU is to revise a previous Memorandum of Understanding Between the Departments of Justice and Labor (1960 Memorandum of Understanding) concerning the allocation of such responsibilities. The MOU enhances administrative efficiency in the investigation and prosecution of crimes and civil violations arising under the Act. A copy of the MOU is set forth below.