81 FR 56368, Aug. 19, 2016, unless otherwise noted.
The purposes of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) include:
(a) Increasing access to, and opportunities for individuals to receive, the employment, education, training, and support services necessary to succeed in the labor market, with a particular focus on those individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment including out of school youth with the goal of improving their outcomes;
(b) Enhancing the strategic role for States and elected officials, and Local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) in the public workforce system by increasing flexibility to tailor services to meet employer and worker needs at State, regional, and local levels;
(c) Streamlining service delivery across multiple programs by requiring colocation, coordination, and integration of activities and information to make the system understandable and accessible for individuals, including individuals with disabilities and those with other barriers to employment, and businesses.
(d) Supporting the alignment of the workforce investment, education, and economic development systems in support of a comprehensive, accessible, and high-quality workforce development system at the Federal, State, and local and regional levels;
(e) Improving the quality and labor market relevance of workforce investment, education, and economic development efforts by promoting the use of industry and sector partnerships, career pathways, and regional service delivery strategies in order to both provide America's workers with the skills and credentials that will enable them to secure and advance in employment with family-sustaining wages, and to provide America's employers with the skilled workers the employers need to succeed in a global economy;
(f) Promoting accountability using core indicators of performance measured across all WIOA authorized programs, sanctions, and high quality evaluations to improve the structure and delivery of services through the workforce development system to address and improve the employment and skill needs of workers, job seekers, and employers;
(g) Increasing the prosperity and economic growth of workers, employers, communities, regions, and States; and
(h) Providing workforce development activities through statewide and local workforce development systems to increase employment, retention and earnings of participants and to increase industry-recognized postsecondary credential attainment to improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, increase economic self-sufficiency, meet skill requirements of employers, and enhance productivity and competitiveness of the nation.
(a) The regulations found in parts 675 through 688 of this chapter set forth the regulatory requirements that are applicable to programs operated with funds provided under title I of WIOA. This part describes the purpose of that Act, explains the format of these regulations, and sets forth definitions for terms that apply to each part. Parts 676, 677 and 678 of this chapter contain regulations relating to Unified and Combined State Plans, performance accountability, and the one-stop delivery system and the roles of one-stop partners, respectively. Part 679 of this chapter contains regulations relating to statewide and local governance of the workforce development system. Part 680 of this chapter sets forth requirements applicable to WIOA title I programs serving adults and dislocated workers. Part 681 of this chapter sets forth requirements applicable to WIOA title I programs serving youth. Part 682 of this chapter contains regulations relating to statewide activities. Part 683 of this chapter sets forth the administrative requirements applicable to programs funded under WIOA title I. Parts 684 and 685 of this chapter contain the particular requirements applicable to programs serving Indians and Native Americans and Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers, respectively. Parts 686 and 687 of this chapter describe the particular requirements applicable to the Job Corps and the national dislocated worker grant programs, respectively. Part 688 of this chapter contains the regulations governing the YouthBuild program. In addition, part 603 of this chapter provides the requirements regarding confidentiality and disclosure of State Unemployment Compensation program data under WIOA.
(b) Finally, parts 651 through 658 of this chapter address provisions for the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service, as amended by WIOA title III. Specifically, part 651 of this chapter contains general provisions and definitions of terms used in parts 651 through 658 of this chapter; part 652 of this chapter establishes the State Employment Service and describes its operation and services; part 653 of this chapter describes employment services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers and the role of the State Monitor Advocate; part 654 of this chapter addresses the special responsibilities of the Employment Service regarding housing for farmworkers; and part 658 of this chapter contains the administrative provisions that apply to the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service.
(c) Title 29 CFR part 38 contains the Department's nondiscrimination regulations implementing WIOA sec. 188.
In addition to the definitions set forth in WIOA and those set forth in specific parts of this chapter, the following definitions apply to the regulations in parts 675 through 688 of this chapter:
Consultation means the process by which State and/or local stakeholders convene to discuss changes to the public workforce system and constitutes a robust conversation in which all parties are given an opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions.
Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in this part does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward as defined in this section.
Contractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined in this section.
Cooperative agreement means a legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302-6305:
(1) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity to the non-Federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal government or pass-through entity's direct benefit or use;
(2) Is distinguished from a grant in that it provides for substantial involvement between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the Federal award.
(3) The term does not include:
(i) A cooperative research and development agreement as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a; or
(ii) An agreement that provides only:
(A) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual;
(B) A subsidy;
(C) A loan;
(D) A loan guarantee; or
(E) Insurance.
Department means the U.S. Department of Labor, including its agencies and organizational units.
Employment and training activity means a workforce investment activity that is carried out for an adult or dislocated worker under part 678 of this chapter.
Equal opportunity data or EO data means data on race and ethnicity, age, sex, and disability required by 29 CFR part 38 of the Department of Labor regulations implementing sec. 188 of WIOA, governing nondiscrimination.
Employment and Training Administration or ETA means the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Family means two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or decree of court, who are living in a single residence, and are included in one or more of the following categories:
(1) A married couple and dependent children;
(2) A parent or guardian and dependent children; or
(3) A married couple.
Federal award means:
(1) The Federal financial assistance that a non-Federal entity receives directly from a Federal awarding agency or indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in 2 CFR 200.101 (Applicability);
(2) The cost-reimbursement contract under the Federal Acquisition Regulations that a non-Federal entity receives directly from a Federal awarding agency or indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in 2 CFR 200.101 (Applicability); and
(3) The instrument setting forth the terms and conditions. The instrument is the grant agreement, cooperative agreement, other agreement for assistance covered in paragraph (b) of 2 CFR 200.40 (Federal financial assistance), or the cost-reimbursement contract awarded under the Federal Acquisition Regulations.
(4) Federal award does not include other contracts that a Federal agency uses to buy goods or services from a contractor or a contract to operate Federal government owned, contractor operated facilities (GOCOs).
Federal financial assistance means:
(1) For grants and cooperative agreements, assistance in the form of:
(i) Grants;
(ii) Cooperative agreements;
(iii) Non-cash contributions or donations of property (including donated surplus property);
(iv) Direct appropriations;
(v) Food commodities; and
(vi) Other financial assistance, except assistance listed in paragraph (2) of this definition.
(2) For purposes of the audit requirements at 2 CFR part 200, subpart F, Federal financial assistance includes assistance that non-Federal entities receive or administer in the form of:
(i) Loans;
(ii) Loan Guarantees;
(iii) Interest subsidies; and
(iv) Insurance.
(3) Federal financial assistance does not include amounts received as reimbursement for services rendered to individuals as described in 2 CFR 200.502, which outlines the basis for determining Federal awards expended.
Grant or grant agreement means a legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding agency and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302, 6304:
(1) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal awarding agency's direct benefit or use;
(2) Is distinguished from a cooperative agreement in that it does not provide for substantial involvement between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the Federal award.
(3) Grant agreement does not include an agreement that provides only:
(i) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual;
(ii) A subsidy;
(iii) A loan;
(iv) A loan guarantee; or
(v) Insurance.
Grantee means the direct recipient of grant funds from the Department of Labor under a grant or grant agreement. A grantee also may be referred to as a recipient.
Individual with a disability means an individual with any disability as defined in sec. 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102). For purposes of WIOA sec. 188, this term is defined at 29 CFR 38.4.
Labor Federation means an alliance of two or more organized labor unions for the purpose of mutual support and action.
Literacy means an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, and to compute, and solve problems, at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in society.
Local WDB means a Local Workforce Development Board (WDB) established under WIOA sec. 107, to set policy for the local workforce development system.
Non-Federal entity, as defined in 2 CFR 2900.2, means a State, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), for-profit entity, foreign public entity, foreign organization or nonprofit organization that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.
Obligations when used in connection with a non-Federal entity's utilization of funds under a Federal award, means orders placed for property and services, contracts and subawards made, and similar transactions during a given period that require payment by the non- Federal entity during the same or a future period.
Outlying area means:
(1) The United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and
(2) The Republic of Palau, except during a period that the Secretaries determine both that a Compact of Free Association is in effect and that the Compact contains provisions for training and education assistance prohibiting the assistance provided under WIOA.
Pass-through entity means a non-Federal entity that provides a subaward to a subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal program.
Recipient means a non-Federal entity that receives a Federal award directly from a Federal awarding agency to carry out an activity under a Federal program. The term recipient does not include subrecipients.
Register means the process for collecting information, including identifying information, to determine an individual's eligibility for services under WIOA title I. Individuals may be registered in a variety ways, as described in § 680.110 of this chapter.
Secretary means the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, or their designee.
Secretaries means the Secretaries of the U.S. Department Labor and the U.S. Department of Education, or their designees.
Self-certification means an individual's signed attestation that the information they submit to demonstrate eligibility for a program under title I of WIOA is true and accurate.
State means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The term “State” does not include outlying areas.
State WDB means a State Workforce Development Board (WDB) established under WIOA sec. 101.
Subgrant or subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.
Subrecipient means a non-Federal entity that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal program, but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A subrecipient also may be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency.
Unliquidated obligations means, for financial reports prepared on a cash basis, obligations incurred by the non-Federal entity that have not been paid (liquidated). For reports prepared on an accrual expenditure basis, these are obligations incurred by the non-Federal entity for which an expenditure has not been recorded.
Unobligated balance means the amount of funds under a Federal award that the non-Federal entity has not obligated. The amount is computed by subtracting the cumulative amount of the non-Federal entity's unliquidated obligations and expenditures of funds under the Federal award from the cumulative amount of the funds that the Federal awarding agency or pass- through entity authorized the non- Federal entity to obligate.
Wagner-Peyser Act means the Act of June 6, 1933, as amended, codified at 29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.
WIA regulations mean the regulations in parts 660 through 672 of this chapter, the Wagner-Peyser Act regulations in part 652, subpart C, of this chapter, and the regulations implementing WIA sec. 188 in 29 CFR part 37.
WIOA regulations mean the regulations in parts 675 through 687 of this chapter, the Wagner-Peyser Act regulations in part 652, subpart C, of this chapter, and the regulations implementing WIA sec. 188 in 29 CFR part 38.
Workforce investment activities mean the array of activities permitted under title I of WIOA, which include employment and training activities for adults and dislocated workers, as described in WIOA sec. 134, and youth activities, as described in WIOA sec. 129.
Youth workforce investment activity means a workforce investment activity that is carried out for eligible youth under part 679 of this chapter.