Office of Labor-Management Standards August 13, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor (``Department''), through the Office of Labor-Management Standards (``OLMS''), issued proposed changes to its Guidelines for the Department's administration of the Secretary of Labor's (``Secretary'') responsibility under the Federal transit law, 49 U.S.C. 5333(b). This document sets forth the Department's review of and response to comments on the proposed revisions, as well as the changes made to the Guidelines in response to those comments. Pursuant to section 5333(b) of the Federal transit law, the Department must certify that, as a condition of certain grants of Federal financial assistance, fair and equitable labor protective provisions are in place to protect the interests of employees affected by such Federal assistance. The Department administers this program through Guidelines set forth at 29 CFR Part 215. The Department's proposed changes are intended to conform the Guidelines to amendments to the Federal transit law made by sections 3013(h) and 3031 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity ActA Legacy for Users (``SAFETEA-LU''), Public Law No. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144 (2005). In addition to changes mandated by statute, the Department proposed revisions to the Guidelines that are intended to enhance the speed and efficiency of the Department's processing of grant certifications. The revisions to existing procedures for processing grant applications under the Federal transit law are intended to ensure timely certifications in a predictable manner, while remaining consistent with the transit law's objectives. The Department invited written comments on the proposed revisions from members of the public.