Department of Labor February 9, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor (Department), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the 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 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps 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, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the revisions to the WIA Management Information and Reporting System data collection supporting statement to update the burden estimate to account for annual changes in hourly rates for respondents and remove any outdated language referencing updates made to the WIA reporting system prior to its 2013 renewal. No other revisions were made to the package. On July 22, 2015, the Department issued an information collection request (ICR) for implementing WIOA performance requirements in accordance with section 116. Section 136 of WIA will remain in place until the performance requirements under WIOA have been fully implemented. Because we are using WIA performance measures, we are referring to the reports collected under this collection as ``WIA Reports.'' Generally, WIOA took effect on July 1, 2015 (See WIOA sec. 506(a.)). Sec. 116 of WIOA, which outlines the performance accountability requirements, including the indicators of performance, does not take effect until July 1, 2016 (See WIOA sec. 506(b)(1)). Under the Department's transition authority, in order to provide for an orderly transition from WIA to WIOA, we will require the states to use the WIA performance metrics in WIA sec. 136 to report on WIOA participants for one program year. This means that WIOA participants who became WIOA participants after July 1, 2015, are being measured according to the WIA section 136 performance measures. Once the Department has fully implemented WIOA's performance system, and all reporting requirements under WIA are met, the WIA reporting system will be discontinued. ETA seeks extension and approval of WIA reporting requirements during this transition period. Provisions will cover both individuals who were participants under WIA and new participants who enter the workforce system prior to full implementation of WIOA. For convenience we have included references to both the WIA statute and their corresponding updated sections within WIOA.