Employment and Training Administration January 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Secretary of Labor has determined that the renewal of a national advisory committee on apprenticeship is necessary and in the public interest. The Department of Labor will renew the ACA Charter with revisions. The revisions are not intended to change the purpose or the Committee's original intent. The revisions are intended as a routine updating of the Department's strategic goals and existing procedures. The Charter for the ACA expired on January 15, 2011.

Through this notice, the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the availability of approximately $500 million in grant funds authorized in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Reconciliation Act) from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants funding source to provide community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that can be completed in two years or less, are suited for workers who are eligible for training under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers program, and prepare program participants for employment in high-wage, high- skill occupations. ETA intends to fund grants ranging from $2.5 million to $5 million for individual applicants and from $2.5 million to $20 million for consortium applicants with this SGA. The complete SGA and any subsequent SGA amendments, in connection with the Workforce Investment Act and Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Reconciliation Act) is described in further detail on ETA's Web site at https://www.doleta.gov or on https:// www.grants.gov. The Web sites provide application information, eligibility requirements, review and selection procedures and other program requirements governing this solicitation.

This notice is to designate Certifying Officers to carry out functions under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program under chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.), and the implementing regulations at 29 CFR part 90. Background: The TAA program operates under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, to provide assistance to domestic workers adversely affected in their employment by certain types of foreign trade. The Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 amended the Trade Act of 1974, expanded TAA coverage to more workers and firms, including workers and firms in the service sector; made benefits available to workers whose jobs have been off-shored to any country, as opposed to only covering certain shifts in production; and improved workers' training opportunities and opportunities for health insurance coverage. The new law also included additional funding for employment services and case management, extended income support, increased funding for training, and provided for earlier access to training. Workers become eligible for program benefits only if the worker group is certified under the Act as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance. From time to time the agency issues an Order designating or redesignating officials of the agency authorized to act as Certifying Officers, responsible for reviewing and signing adjustment assistance determinations. This also is done when current Certifying Officials retire or leave and/or when there is a need to designate new Certifying Officials. Employment and Training Order No. 1-11 was issued to revise the listing of officials designated as Certifying Officers, superseding the previous Order. The Employment and Training Order No. 1-11 is published below.

This notice announces a change in benefit period eligibility under the EB Program for Puerto Rico. The following change has occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding the State's EB status: Puerto Rico's 13-week IUR has fallen below the 6% threshold and does not equal or exceed 120% of the average rate in the two prior years. As a result of data reported for the week ending November 27, 2010, Puerto Rico has triggered off of EB. Puerto Rico's payable period in the Federal-State Extended Benefit program will conclude December 18, 2010, and Puerto Rico will enter a mandatory 13 week ``off'' period.

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 and Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning the collection of data about the Workforce Information (WI) Grants to States, OMB Control Number 1205-0417 that expires on May 31, 2011. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.