Department of Labor June 17, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice reopens and extends the period for comments on the Notice of Initial Determination published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2014, proposing to add carpets from India to the List of Products Requiring Federal Contractor Certification as to Forced or Indentured Child Labor (the EO List) (77 FR 59418). The EO List is required by Executive Order 13126 (Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor), and is developed in accordance with the ``Procedural Guidelines for the Maintenance of the List of Products Requiring Federal Contractor Certification as to Forced or Indentured Child Labor Under 48 CFR Subpart 22.15 and E.O. 13126.'' The EO List identifies products, by their country of origin, that the Department of Labor, in consultation and cooperation with the Departments of State and Homeland Security (collectively, the Departments), has a reasonable basis to believe might have been mined, produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor. In addition to proposing to add a one new item, carpets from India, to the EO List, the initial determination invited comments from the public. Since the initial comment period, additional comments have been submitted to and gathered by the Departments. This notice reopens and extends the comment period on the initial determination, including all of the information that was submitted and gathered during the comment period and after it closed. The comments have raised issues as to whether the evidence is sufficient at this time to satisfy our criteria for adding carpets from India to the EO list; however, a final determination will not be made until the public has had an opportunity to comment on the initial determination and the evidence in the record. The Departments will consider all public comments prior to publishing a final determination revising the EO List.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $100 million in grant funds authorized under the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (codified at 29 U.S.C. 3224a) for America's Promise Job-driven Grant Program. Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOL will award grants through a competitive process to organizations to create or expand regional partnerships between employers, economic development, workforce development, community colleges, training programs, K-12 education systems, and community-based organizations that make a commitment to provide a pipeline of workers to fill existing job openings. DOL expects to fund approximately 20-40 grants, with individual grant amounts ranging from $1 million to $6 million. The grant period for performance for this FOA is 48 months, including all necessary implementation and start-up activities. The complete FOA and any subsequent FOA amendments in connection with this funding opportunity are described in further detail on ETA's Web site at https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm or on https:// www.grants.gov/. The Web sites provide application information, eligibility requirements, review and selection procedures, and other program requirements governing this funding opportunity.