Department of Labor June 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) continues to support local Stand Down events that assist homeless veterans and is now accepting applications for Stand Down grant awards. A Stand Down is an event held in a local community where homeless veterans are provided a wide variety of social services. Under this FY 2006 announcement, VETS anticipates that up to $325,000 will be available for grant awards up to a maximum of $8,000 per event. However, if the event is held for one (1) day, the maximum amount is $5,000. VETS expects to award approximately forty (40) grants. Applications for Stand Down funds will be accepted from State Workforce Agencies and State and local Workforce Investment Boards, Veterans Service Organizations (VSO), local public agencies, and non-profit organizations, including community and faith- based organizations. VETS is not authorized to award these grant funds to organizations that are registered with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(4) organization.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $10 million in grant funds for new and innovative approaches to meeting the workforce challenges of the advanced manufacturing industry under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative. ETA defines ``advanced manufacturing'' as the use of technology or other productivity-enhancing business processes in the manufacturing enterprise and/or value-added supply chain. These advanced manufacturing technologies and processes may be used in a variety of industry sectors. The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI) is a strategic effort to prepare workers for new and increasing job opportunities in high-growth, high-demand, and economically vital industries and sectors of the American economy. Through the initiative, ETA identifies high-growth, high-demand industries, evaluates their skill needs, and funds local and national partnership-based demonstration projects that: (a) Address workforce challenges identified by employers; and (b) prepare workers for good jobs with career pathways in these rapidly expanding or transforming industries. The products, models, and effective approaches that result from HGJTI investments will be broadly disseminated to employers, education and training providers, and the workforce system to build their capacity to respond to employers' workforce needs. Grant funds awarded under this Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) should be used to develop and implement innovative and industry- driven training solutions that address the advanced manufacturing industry's critical workforce challenges. Each solution must take place in the context of a strategic partnership between the workforce investment system, business and industry representatives, and education and training providers such as community colleges. The projects selected for funding under this SGA are intended to complement and enhance existing ETA investments for the advanced manufacturing industry available on ETA's Web site at https://www.doleta.gov/BRG/ Indprof/Manufacturing.cfm. Applicants may be public, private for-profit, and private non- profit organizations. It is anticipated that individual awards will fall within the range of $750,000 to $1.5 million.

The Department of Labor (Department) proposed to revise the regulations applicable to Federal sector labor organizations subject to the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA), the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (FSA), and the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) (referred to collectively as ``these Acts''). This document sets forth the Department's review of comments submitted by the public on the proposal, the Department's response to those comments, and the changes from the proposal that are embodied in a final rule. The Department will require each labor organization subject to these Acts to periodically inform their members of their rights as union members as set forth in the standards of conduct provisions of these Acts and their implementing regulations.\1\ Labor organizations subject to this rule must provide written notice to existing members within 90 days after the effective date of the regulation and to new members within 90 days of their joining the organization. Such notification must also be given to each member at three-year intervals. Notification may be made by hand delivery, regular mail, electronic mail (e-mail), or a combination of these methods as long as the method selected is reasonably calculated to reach all members. A labor organization is permitted, but not required, to include such notice with the organization's notice of election of officers if such notice is mailed to members at least every three years. If a labor organization has a Web site, the site must contain a link to the CSRA Union Member Rights, or, alternatively, provide the organization's own notice as long as the notice accurately states all of the CSRA standards of conduct provisions. OLMS will use the existing administrative mechanism in the standards of conduct regulations for resolving complaints related to this rule. Where OLMS determines after investigation that a violation has occurred and has not been remedied, OLMS will institute enforcement proceedings against the labor organization before the Department's Office of Administrative Law Judges.

This document contains notices of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of proposed exemptions from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code).

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment Standards Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection: Authorization for Release of Medical Information (CM-936). A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this Notice.