Employment and Training Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor's (DOL's), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled ``Claims and Payment Activities Report.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

This Notice announces updates and modifications to the allotment formula for the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Section 167, and allotments for Program Year (PY) 2018. These allotments are based on the enacted NFJP funding appropriation in the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2018. On May 23, 2018, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) published a notice in the Federal Register (83 FR 23937) concerning the use of updated data in and proposed modifications to the formula ETA uses to distribute funding for NFJP. The notice also presented preliminary State planning estimates for PY 2018. Public comments were requested at that time. The comment period closed May 30, 2018. This notice summarizes and responds to the comments, and publishes the final PY 2018 allotments.

The Department of Labor (DOL or 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. 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, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning the collection of data through Form ETA- 9127, Foreign Labor Certification Quarterly Activity Report (Office of Management and Budget (OMB)) Control Number 1205-0457), which expires October 31, 2018. The Form ETA-9127 solicits information from State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) who are recipients of foreign labor certification grants about program- related activities performed by SWA staff in accordance with specific fiscal year annual plans. These activities include reviewing and transmitting H-2A and H-2B job orders, conducting H-2A prevailing wage and prevailing practice surveys, and performing H-2A related housing inspections of facilities offered to agricultural workers.

The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Pre-ApprenticeshipPathways to Success.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

This notice announces allotments for PY 2018 for WIOA Title I Youth, Adult and Dislocated Worker Activities programs; final allotments for Employment Service (ES) activities under the Wagner- Peyser Act for PY 2018 and the allotments of Workforce Information Grants to States for PY 2018. WIOA allotments for states and the state final allotments for the Wagner-Peyser Act are based on formulas defined in their respective statutes. WIOA requires allotments for the Outlying Areas to be competitively awarded rather than based on a formula determined by the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) as occurred under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). However, for PY 2018, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 waives the competition requirement, and the Secretary is using the discretionary formula rationale and methodology for allocating PY 2018 funds for the Outlying Areas (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the United States Virgin Islands) that was published in the Federal Register at 65 FR 8236 (Feb. 17, 2000). WIOA specifically included the Republic of Palau as an Outlying Area, except during any period for which the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education determine that a Compact of Free Association is in effect and contains provisions for training and education assistance prohibiting the assistance provided under WIOA; no such determinations prohibiting assistance have been made. The formula that the Department of Labor (Department) used for PY 2018 is the same formula used in PY 2017 and is described in the section on Youth Activities program allotments. The Department invites comments only on the formula used to allot funds to the Outlying Areas.

This Notice announces proposed modifications to the allotment formula for the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Section 167, and a presentation of preliminary State planning estimates for Program Year (PY) 2018. These planning estimates are based on the enacted NFJP funding appropriation in the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2018.

Pursuant to Section 10 (a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (Pub. L. 92-463), as amended, and Section 166 (i)(4) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), notice is hereby given of the next meeting of the Native American Employment and Training Council (Council), as constituted under WIOA.

This notice announces a change in benefit period eligibility under the EB Program for Alaska. The following change has occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding the state's EB status: Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 12, 2018, Alaska's 3-month average seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate (TUR) remains above 6.5 percent for the 3-months ending January 2018. However, this rate fails to meet the requirement of being at least 110 percent of the seasonally adjusted TUR for the corresponding period in either of the prior two years. Therefore, the EB period for Alaska will end on April 7, 2018. The state will remain in an ``off'' period for a minimum of 13 weeks.

The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration is soliciting comments regarding a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Tax Performance System.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and its implementing regulations, notice is hereby given to announce the third public meeting of the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion on Thursday, March 15, 2018. The Task Force is a FACA committee established by Presidential Executive Order that is charged with identifying strategies and proposals to promote and expand apprenticeships, especially in sectors where apprenticeship programs are insufficient. The Task Force is solely advisory in nature, and will consider reports, comments, research, evidence, and existing practices as appropriate to develop recommendations for inclusion in its final report to the President. To achieve its mission, the Task Force will convene two additional meetings between April and May 2018; one meeting will convene virtually and one meeting will convene in person.

Each year, the Department of Defense issues a Schedule of Remuneration that may be used by states, as needed, for UCX purposes. States must use the schedule to determine Federal military wages for UCX ``first claims'' only when the Federal Claims Control Center (FCCC) responds to a request for information indicating that there is no Copy 5 of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) for an individual under the social security number provided. A response from the FCCC that indicates ``no DD214 on file'' will prompt the state to start the affidavit process and to use the attached schedule to calculate the Federal military wages for an unemployment insurance or UCX monetary determination. The schedule applies to UCX ``first claims'' filed beginning with the first day of the first week that begins on or after January 1, 2018, pursuant to the UCX program regulations (see 20 CFR 614.12(c)). States must continue to use the 2017 schedule (or other appropriate schedule) for UCX ``first claims'' filed before the effective date of the revised schedule.

The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning a proposed revision for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``YouthBuild Reporting System.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and its implementing regulations, notice is hereby given to announce a virtual meeting of the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion on Tuesday, February 6, 2018. The Task Force will convene its second meeting virtually; information on how to access this meeting is provided below and will be prominently posted on the Task Force's homepage: https:// www.dol.gov/apprenticeship/task-force.htm. The Task Force is a FACA committee established by Presidential Executive Order that is charged with identifying strategies and proposals to promote and expand apprenticeships, especially in sectors where apprenticeship programs are insufficient. The Task Force is solely advisory in nature, and will consider reports, comments, research, evidence, and existing practices as appropriate to develop recommendations for inclusion in its final report to the President. A virtual meeting of the Task Force provides cost savings to the government while still offering a venue that allows for public participation and transparency, as required by FACA. To achieve its mission, the Task Force will likely convene four meetings between February and May 2018; two meetings will convene virtually and two meetings will convene in person.

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) is publishing this final rule to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced in its regulations, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The Inflation Adjustment Act requires the Department to annually adjust its civil money penalty levels for inflation no later than January 15 of each year. The Inflation Adjustment Act provides that agencies shall adjust civil monetary penalties notwithstanding Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, the Inflation Adjustment Act provides a cost- of-living formula for adjustment of the civil penalties. Accordingly, this final rule sets forth the Department's 2018 annual adjustments for inflation to its civil monetary penalties.

The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration, is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension for the authority to conduct the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Experience Rating Report.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

The Department of Labor (DOL or Department), as part of its effort to streamline information collection, clarify statutory and regulatory requirements, and provide greater transparency and oversight in the H-2B nonimmigrant visa application processes, 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. This program helps provide that all 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 proposed revisions to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1205- 0530, containing Form ETA-9142-B-CAAAttestation for Employers Seeking to Employ H-2B Nonimmigrant Workers Under Section 543 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which it is currently set to expire on January 31, 2018. A copy of the proposed revised information collection can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.

Pursuant to Section 308 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), which amends section 15 of the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, notice is hereby given that the WIAC will meet January 25, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The meeting will take place virtually at https:// meet617368056.adobeconnect.com/wiac25/ or call 800-201-5203 and use conference code 333372. The WIAC was established in accordance with provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended and will act in accordance with the applicable provisions of FACA and its implementing regulation. The meeting will be open to the public.

The Department of Labor (DOL or Department) is soliciting comments concerning the measures of performance for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016 (OAA-2016) amended the measures of performance for SCSEP to align them with the performance measures under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The Department added performance information collection requirements for SCSEP to the information collection request (ICR) titled, ``DOL-Only Performance Accountability, Information, and Reporting System.'' This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

Section 224(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 (``Trade Act'') requires the United States Department of Labor (``Department'') to publish in the Federal Register a summary of each report that it submits to the President under section 224(a) of the Trade Act. Set forth below is a summary of the report that the Department submitted to the President on November 28, 2017, on investigation No. TA-201-75, Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic (CSPV) Cells (Whether or Not Partially or Fully Assembled Into Other Products). The Department conducted the investigation under section 224(a) following notification by the International Trade Commission (``Commission''), as required by section 202(a)(3) of the Trade Act, that a petition was filed alleging that CSPV cells (Whether or Not Partially or Fully Assembled Into Other Products) are being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or threat thereof, to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. Pursuant to section 224(a), the Department will investigate: (1) The number of workers in the domestic industry producing the like or directly competitive article(s) who have been or are likely to be certified as eligible for adjustment assistance, and (2) the extent to which the adjustment of such workers to the import competition may be facilitated through the use of existing programs. The full text of the report will be posted on the Department's Web site at https://www.doleta.gov/tradeact.