Department of Labor December 24, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) supports local Stand Down events that help homeless veterans attain meaningful civilian employment. Authority to support such events is in 38 U.S.C. Section 2021, which provides that the ``Secretary of Labor shall conduct, directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to provide job training, counseling, and placement services (including job readiness and literacy and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.'' A Stand Down is a local community event where homeless veterans are provided a wide variety of services and incentives to reintegrate into their community, such as housing opportunities, healthcare, and employment opportunities, Stand Down funding is provided in the form of non- competitive grants that are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until available funding is exhausted. VETS anticipates that approximately $600,000 will be available to award approximately 70 grants in each Federal FY covered by this solicitation. The Federal FY begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the next calendar year. Awards will be made for a maximum of $10,000 per multi-day event or $7,000 per one-day event. VETS is now accepting applications for grant awards to fund Stand Down events in FY 2015. All applications for Stand Down grant funding must be submitted to the appropriate state Director for Veterans' Employment and Training (DVET). Applications will be accepted up to six (6) months prior to the event. Please allow up to 60 days to process your application. Address and contact information for each state DVET can be found at: https://www.dol.gov/vets/aboutvets/contacts/map.htm. Stand Down grant funding is awarded for a specific event on a specific date. Organizations planning Stand Down events must submit a new application each year to request funding and should not assume that the application will be approved. Stand Down grant awards are contingent upon a Federal appropriation or a continuing resolution each Federal FY. Therefore, applications submitted after July 1 for events to be held after September 30 may be held for consideration contingent upon Federal funding availability during the upcoming FY. Grant applicants cannot obligate grant funding toward Stand Down expenses prior to receiving a Notice of Award from the Grant Officer; any such expenses will be disallowed.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) ``Placement Verification and Follow Up of Job Corps Participants'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (Department) issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register of November 6, 2015 [80 FR 68907], concerning proposed updates to the equal opportunity regulations that implement the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937. This document extends the comment period an additional 15 days, from January 5, 2016, to January 20, 2016. The Department received a request for additional time to develop comments on the proposed rulemaking. The Department is therefore extending the comment period in order to give all interested persons the opportunity to comment fully.