References. 41 CFR Part 301-4; Federal Register/Vol. 56, No. 122/Tuesday, June 25, 1991, page 28824, attached. Background. The General Services Administration is required by law to periodically investigate the cost of operating privately owned vehicles to employees while on official travel and report the results of these investigations to Congress. Action. Effective July 1, 1991, grantees are authorized to increase the mileage reimbursement rate from 24 cents to 25 cents per mile for use of privately owned automobiles for approved JTPA grant purposes. Questions. Consult your DINAP Federal Representative.

Reference. DINAP Bulletin 90-24, dated March 1-3, 1991. Background. DINAP Bulletin 90-24 introduced the new Employability Enhancement performance measure which is designed to give grantees credit for improving participants' knowledge, abilities and skills. Paragraph 3.f. of the Bulletin advised grantees that the Annual Status Report has been revised to capture data on various types of enhancements. It also imposed a requirement that all grantees assess the reading level of all participants at time of entry into the Section 401 program. It further stated that, for some outcomes, some grantees would need a broader approach and would have to assess a participant's employability at the time of program entry. Also, all grantees were encouraged to adopt an employability development plan to record increases in employability, to measure progress and to capture data to support reported outcomes. This policy caused some concern at the recent DINAP sponsored TAT seminars in January-February 1991 and generated considerable discussion at the recent Advisory Committee meeting in Spokane. Written comments were received subsequently from grantees. ETA of met to discuss and resolve these issues and concerns. In the meantime, it was determined that about forty percent of the grantees are already testing participants. In addition, OMB suggested the following language receding testing: ... "all grantees must offer to administer a reading test to all participants prior to service delivery. However, grantees shall permit individual participants to refuse the test..." The attached Q&A paper on assessment addresses the most frequently raised issues and concerns. In addition, there will be more training on this requirement at seminars during August-September 1991. Details will be provided in a forthcoming DINAP bulletin. Information. The reading assessment policy is in effect beginning July 1, 1991. However, grantees need to note the following clarifications and special instructions: a. Clarification of DINAP Bulletin 90-24 In reference to paragraph 3.f., grantees will obtain reading scores at intake whenever possible. Grantees are encouraged to assess for reading levels once it has been established that the eligible applicant has no existing score from a school or GED program within the last 12 months, or has acquired a four-year college degree, or is in a special circumstance where he or she is unable to be assessed at the intake site. See attached Q and A, Question number 6 for more details. Furthermore, grantees should be advised that the phrase "to assess a participant's employability" refers to other terminee characteristics which are listed as "multiple barriers to employment" such as teen parents, lacks significant work history, poor math skills, or substance abuse, etc. This phrase means that grantees should determine if a participant has multiple barriers to employment; it does not mandate grantees to conduct aptitude testing. b. Special Instructions for PY 1991 PY 1991 is considered a transition year for INA grantees to phase in a reading assessment capability for all applicants. Grantees are expected to develop this capacity during the second quarter of PY 91 and then implement an assessment procedure for all applicants during the third quarter. Summer youth participants are exempt from the reading assessment during the Summer of 1991. Grantees will not be penalized for failure to implement a total assessment procedure for PY 1991. Expenses to conduct reading assessments may be charged as a training cost (see CFR 632.38(e)). Action. Grantees are requested to review the attached Q and A paper, distributing copies as necessary to staff who will be involved in these activities. Questions. Contact your DINAP Federal Representative.

Background. As part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Congress mandated that DOL and the Department of Agriculture determine annually whether there is a shortage of Seasonal Agricultural Services workers. In order to fulfill this assignment, DOL began the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS). NAWS. The survey collected information about the demographics, migration and employment patterns of farmworkers. NAWS is the only survey collecting information for the Federal government on this diverse population. The enclosed copy is the first in a series, although it reports on the second year of NAWS. The volume covering the first year's interviews is forthcoming. A similar report will be produced annually, contingent on continued funding for NAWS. Data collection is now underway for the 1991 survey. Additional Copies. Contact the Federal Representative assigned to your grant.

Background. There appears to be a misunderstanding among some Federal staff, contractors and grantees about who is eligible for Federal travel discounts. The employment and Training Administration's Division of Acquisition and Assistance has researched this matter and has consulted with travel policy experts in the General Services Administration. Policy. Only Federal contractors that have cost-reimbursement contracts are eligible for travel discounts through participating vendors. Federal grantees are not eligible. Furthermore, grantees are not eligible to use General Services Administration sources of supply and services for travel purposes. Finally, grantees are not eligible for Diner's Club credit cards issued to Federal employees. Grantee/staff are expected to obtain the most economical rates possible when travelling, however. Questions. Contact your DINAP Federal Representative.

Background. The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Development (OSPPD) has contracted with Berkeley Planning Associates (BPA), and SRI International to conduct an evaluation of the JTPA, Title IV MSFW program. The purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of training, employment and supportive services provided by grantees, funded under Section 402, in meeting the goals of the program. The project officer for this evaluation is Mr. Tom NaSell of OSPPD. Ms. Marlene Strong, of BPA, and Mr. Ron D'Amico of SRI serve as Co-principal Investigators of the study, which began July 1, 1991 and continues through June 30, 1993. Evaluation Objectives. The evaluation has the following objectives: -- to describe variations in the provision of services to farmworkers, including differences by type of worker served (seasonal or migrant; in-state or interstate; those with or without non-agricultural work experience; youth or adult), as well as differences by type of grantee (administrative; size); -- to assess the quality of services being provided to program participants; -- to describe the influence of Federal policies and regulations on grantee operations; -- to describe the influence of local economic conditions on grantee operations and program design; -- to describe the coordination practices of grantees; -- to describe the outcomes for different types of clients, and to analyze the effects of local economic conditions and services provided on those outcomes. Research Design. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to assess program effectiveness. Two site visits will be conducted to 18 randomly selected grantees, one during each of the study years. Four days will be spent on site in the first year - two days in discussions with staff at the central administrative office, and two days in discussions with staff and program participants at one of the grantee's field offices. Quantitative analyses will be performed using databases contain- ing information about the client population (from the Annual Status Reports) and databases on the eligible farmworker population. In addition, analyses will be performed on existing client-level data from grantees at ten of the sites visited. Action. Initial site visits to selected grantees will occur from October 1991 through February 1992. Grantees will be notified of their selection by the Department, and contacted by a BPA or SRI study team member to arrange the site visit. Grantees may be asked to provide copies of grant plans and quarterly or annual reports to the study team before the visits. Questions. For further information, please contact your Federal Representative.

Reference. Farmworker Bulletin (FWB) No. 90-10 (January 25, 1990). Background. Section 303 of Immigration Reform and Control Act amended the INA by adding provisions relating to the control of illegal and legal immigration into the United States. The new Section 210A of the INA provided a system for granting temporary resident alien status to RAWs. The number of RAWs to be admitted (or to acquire the status of lawful admission) is to be jointly determined each Fiscal Year (FY) by the Secretaries of Labor and Agriculture, and will be the smaller of (1) the calculated numerical limitation, and (2) the number determined necessary to meet a shortage of workers to perform seasonal agricultural services (SAS). FWB No. 90-10 transmitted procedures to be used by (1) the Secretaries for the determination of the RAW number, (2) SAS employers for appealing for an increase in the shortage number, and (3) RAWs for petitioning for a decrease in the number of days of work required to maintain their status. Policy. The attached notice announces the determination that the number of workers to be admitted (or have their status adjusted) to meet a shortage of workers to perform SAS during FY 1992 is zero. Action. None required. Inquiries. Contact the Federal Representative assigned to your grant.

At a nationwide series of meetings with representatives of all State agencies in August 1971, Manpower Administration staff discussed draft procedural guides which were proposed for implementation of the requirements of the Supreme Court's decision in the Java case.

Under separate cover, we are sending to each State agency five copies of the procedures, revised in the light of the August discussions.

UIPL No. 1126 advised that States should issue as quickly as possible, but not later than September 1, 1971, predetermination procedures to provide for the necessary notice and hearing opportunity to claimants and employers. Later the States were informed through the Regional Manpower Administrators that any State that must have the Java procedures prepared by the Manpower Administration before it could implement changes in its predetermination procedures would have until two weeks after receipt of the Java procedures to effectuate the necessary changes in its procedures. Accordingly, States that have not revised their procedures should do so as soon as possible, with an implementation date not later than two weeks after receipt of the Java procedures.

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Reference. DINAP Bulletin 84-2. Background. DINAP Bulletin 84-2 transmitted a guide to assist grantees in developing procedures to implement Section 504 of the JTPA. Paragraph 3 of that bulletin said that research is underway regarding the ramifications of the Jay Treaty and other related questions. The result of this research is in the answer to the first question in Section 4. Information. The following are questions and answers regarding Section 504. Q. Does the Jay Treaty of 1794, an agreement allowing free access and travel across the Canadian-United States border by Canadian and American Indians, exempt some JTPA applicants from complying with Section 504 of the Act? A. Advise your applicants that Canadian Indians residing in the United States and United States Citizens must comply with Section 504 to participate in JTPA programs. Only lawfully admitted non-immigrant aliens pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 are exempt. if they enter the United States without establishing residence they are not subject to selective service registration. Federal courts consistently have held that subsequent enactment of selective service statutes superseded whatever selective service registration and induction exemption Canadian Indians residing in the United States arguably may have had earlier under the Jay Treaty. Q. Where do grantee applicants go to register with the SSS? A. Advise your applicants to register at their local post office. Q. How can grantees verify, in a timely manner, applicant compliance with Section 504? A. Grantees are advised to use phone verification with the SSS (toll-free hotline-1- 800-621-5388). Within seven days of the phone call, grantees will receive verification by letter from the SSS if applicant has complied with Section 504. The letter will contain applicant's name and SSS number. The letter will be verification of Section 504 compliance until such time as an acknowledgement letter (SSS Form 3) has been received. Q. Are there any other ways to quickly verify applicant compliance with Section 504? A. Yes, the attachment to DINAP Bulletin 84-2 outlines three ways: Self-certification with sample verification; verification of registration prior to enrollment; and enrollment and self-certification followed by universal verification. Q. Does the SSS have a procedure where an applicant can register for the draft at the JTPA office? A. Yes, a successful pilot program in September 1983 in Utah paved the way for a permanent procedure today. A description of this procedure can be found in DINAP Bulletin 84-2. Questions. Contact your DINAP Federal Representative.

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