Flash Edition

April 21, 2015

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act—Five Notices of Proposed Rulemaking Available for Public Comment

On April 16, 2015, the U.S. departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced the release of five notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs) related to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed into law on July 22, 2014.  The NPRMs are available for public comment on the Federal Register website at http://www.regulations.gov and via the links below.  We encourage you to share this information with interested stakeholders. 

The five NPRMs are:

• Joint Rule for Unified and Combined State Plans, Performance Accountability, and the One-Stop System Joint Provisions—The U.S. departments of Education and Labor developed a joint rule proposing to implement jointly administered activities under Title I of WIOA regarding Unified and Combined State plans, performance accountability, and the one-stop system. The proposed rules in the joint NPRM apply to all core programs, including the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act program.

• DOL NPRM—This NPRM proposes to implement changes made to titles I and III of WIOA, including the adult, dislocated worker, and youth formula programs; state and local workforce development boards; designation of regions and local areas; local plans; the one-stop system; and national programs authorized under Title I; and amends the Wagner-Peyser Act under Title III.

• Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) NPRM—This NPRM proposes to implement changes to programs and activities authorized under AEFLA, which is contained in Title II of WIOA.

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act)—The following two NPRMs propose to implement changes made to the programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act, which are contained in Title IV of WIOA, as well as implement new provisions:

State Vocational Rehabilitation Services program; State Supported Employment Services program; Limitations on the Use of Subminimum Wage

  - The NPRM proposes to implement changes to the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services program and the State Supported Employment Services program,, as well as implement provisions in new Section 511 (Limitations on the Use of Subminimum Wages); and

 Miscellaneous program changes   

- This NPRM proposes to implement changes to other Rehabilitation Act programs administered by ED.

The two departments invite public comment on the proposed regulations for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.  Comments may be submitted online at www.regulations.gov or hard copy comments may be submitted via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery.  Instructions for submitting public comments are described in each of the NPRMs published in the Federal Register. A webinar on how to provide comments on the NPRMs will be available the week of April 27. For more information, visit www.doleta.gov/WIOA.

Any comments not received through the processes outlined in the NPRMs will not be considered by the departments.  All comments must be received on or before June 15, 2015. 

To view the joint DOL and ED press release announcing the release of the NPRMs, click here.  For more information on the NPRMs and additional resources, please visit www.ed.gov/aefla.

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