References. JTPA Regulations, 20 CFR Parts 632.250; DINAP Bulletins 92-17, 93-01, 93-06, and 93-14. Background. The DOL and the MIETP are sponsoring the 1995 Summer Youth Enrichment Forums. Three Forums will be held across the country; Baltimore, Maryland - March 13-14, Dallas, Texas - March 20-21, and San Diego, California - March 27-28. The Forums will provide assistance and information about best practices in order to promote the integration of enrichment activities in SYETP programs. Special emphasis will be placed on creating learning rich work-site experiences, developing strategies for expanding work based learning opportunities for youth, and connecting summer programs to year-round services. Action. Grantees with Title II-B programs are encouraged to participate in the event located nearest to you. The workshops will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so it is important that you respond as expeditiously as possible. The Forum registration deadlines as well as the hotel registration information (by city) have been included on the attached form for your convenience. Please note the discounted hotel rate is available for a limited time only. The Conference reservations should be mailed or faxed to MIETP at the following address and fax number: Maryland Institute for Employment & Training Professionals 9801 Broken Land Pky #105 Columbia, Maryland 21046 Telephone: (410)290-9072 Fax: (410)290-9406 Inquiries. Additional questions should be directed to your DINAP Federal Representative. Enclosure

Background: Program letters, or the five letter series, are considered temporary directives containing instructions or information of a short-term nature which complement one of the five parts of the ES Manual. Rather than rewrite and reissue expiring program letters which still contain relevant information or instructions, the expiration date is extended. Attached is a listing of program letters with extended expiration dates for the above period.

Background: This is an exciting year for older workers! We have a golden opportunity to really focus on the many positive contributions that older workers have made in the past as well as the ones that they will make in the future. State and local agencies have provided the local leadership for celebrating the "National Older Worker Week" over the last decade. Last year, the Secretary signed a proclamation to highlight this effort. This year President Clinton has signed a proclamation declaring "National Older Worker Week" from March 12 through March 18, 1995, thus demonstrating the Administration's commitment to the employment of older workers. There is a White House Conference on Aging scheduled for the week of May 1, 1995. Its purpose is to produce policy recommendations that will guide national aging policy over the next decade. The Department of Labor fully supports both efforts and encourages all employment and training programs to do so. Under separate cover, you will receive posters and fact sheets developed by the Department for Older Worker Week. We are also supporting mini- White House conferences on Aging which will be held by Green Thumb, the National Council of Senior Citizens and the National Urban League. Actions Required: JTPA Liaisons and SESAs are encouraged to: a. distribute the attached Proclamation to their local offices and service delivery areas in time so that it is received prior to March 12; b. promote efforts to educate employers on the benefits of hiring, retraining and retaining older workers; c. undertake efforts to recognize the contributions made by older workers and to facilitate and promote their continued participation in the work force, perhaps through Job Fairs, Older Worker luncheons, newspaper releases, and radio and TV broadcasts emphasizing successful older workers; d. coordinate with SCSEP sponsors to further foster community efforts to recognize, promote and celebrate older workers in the local communities; and e. share examples of products developed and experiences which may be helpful to others in the future.

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Background: The criteria for establishing the rate of interest to be charged on Title XII advances during any calendar year are in Section 1202(b)(4) of the Social Security Act. Calendar Year 1993 Interest Rate: The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that the rate of interest to be charged for calendar year 1993 is 7.45 percent. Action Required: SESAs anticipating the need for interest-bearing Title XII advances during 1993 should take necessary action to establish a mechanism to provide funds for the payment of such interest in accordance with the provisions of Section 1202(b) of the Social Security Act, and subject to the limitations in Sections 303(c)(3) and 1202(b)(5) of the Social Security Act and Section 3304(a)(17) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act.

Reference: Section 2, Public Law (P.L.) 103-387, Social Security Domestic Employment Reform Act of 1994. Background: On October 22, 1994, Congress enacted P.L. 103-387 which changed the Social Security, Medicare and Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) reporting and payment requirements for employers of domestic employees. The P.L. 103-387 (also known as the "Nanny Tax Law"): (A) replaces the quarterly reporting and payment requirements of Social Security and Medicare taxes with annual reporting and payment on the employers' personal Federal income tax return; (B) raises the domestic workers' earnings threshold for reporting and paying Social Security and Medicare taxes from $50 in a quarter to $1,000 per year, retroactive to January 1, 1994; (C) exempts household employment by individuals under the age of 18 from Social Security and Medicare taxes unless household employment is the worker's principal occupation (being a student is considered an occupation for this purpose); (D) permits employers of domestic workers to report and pay FUTA taxes on the employer's personal Federal income tax return (Treasury will develop a new schedule for reporting these taxes on the 1995 Form 1040), and; (E) allows the U.S. Treasury Secretary to enter into agreements with States to collect, as the agent of the State, State unemployment contributions from employers of domestic workers by allowing individuals to pay contributions, based on wages paid to these workers, on their Federal income tax returns. Current Status: No decisions have been made by the U.S. Department of Treasury concerning the details for entering into agreements with States to collect State unemployment contributions from employers of domestic workers. Discussions within Treasury currently center around whether or not such an activity is practical and/or desirable. If Treasury elects to offer States the opportunity to enter into such agreements, the States may accept or decline the offer. State law changes relative to annual vs. quarterly contribution reporting and payment requirements, as well as experience rating issues, may be necessary for States choosing to enter into such an agreement with Treasury. Federal certification, methods of transferring funds, receipt of partial tax payments, requests for extensions for filing Federal income taxes, and quarterly wage reporting requirements, are all issues that must be resolved through additional discussion and coordination with the Treasury Department, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the SESAs. The Unemployment Insurance Service is working with Treasury to resolve these issues. More information will be provided as it becomes available. The SESAs should note that, although the earnings threshold for reporting and paying Social Security and Medicare taxes was changed from $50 per quarter to $1,000 per year, the wage requirements for determining liability for FUTA are unchanged. Effective Date: Agreements between SESAs and Treasury that permit Treasury to collect State unemployment contributions from employers of domestic workers could apply to wages paid in calendar years beginning after December 31, 1994. Action Required: SESA administrators are requested to provide this information to appropriate staff.

References. Farmworker Bulletin 88-2, November 18, 1987. Background. The attached index is in two parts. Part I contains the titles and issue dates of bulletins released from 1983 to date. This listing also indicates which bulletins have been rescinded. Part II is an alphabetical listing of topics discussed in the bulletins. For each topic, the pertinent Farmworker Bulletin(s) is identified. Only those bulletins containing current information are cited. Bulletins which have been rescinded are not included in this portion of the index. Action Required. Grantees are invited to use this document as a reference tool. Inquiries. Questions or comments should be directed to Tom Coyne on 202-219-5517.

References: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, including the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA). Background: On January 1, 1995, Section 3306(c)(1)(B), FUTA, ceased to be effective. That section exempted from the definition of employment, and therefore from the tax established by the FUTA, agricultural workers who are aliens admitted to the United States to perform agricultural labor pursuant to Sections 214(c) and 101(a)(15)(H) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a)). These workers are commonly referred to as "H-2A" workers. Impact on the UC Program: For FUTA-taxable services, States may continue the exclusion for services performed by H-2A workers while the employer(s) pay the full Federal tax on the exempted services without benefit of the offset credit. However, if an H-2A worker performs services for a State or local governmental entity or a nonprofit organization to which Section 3304(a)(6)(A), FUTA, pertains, States are now required to extend coverage. Action Required: SESA administrators are requested to share this information with appropriate staff.

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