Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 17, 2006 / Notices 61129 

OESP–07–1 and the date of this 

announcement. 

For information regarding the 

application submission process, you 

may also contact: Phyllis Y. Smith or 

Gary Stammer, Grants Management 

Team, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 

Social Security Administration, 1st 

Floor—Rear Entrance, 7111 Security 

Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244. The 

telephone numbers are: Phyllis Y. 

Smith, (410) 965–9518, or Gary 

Stammer, (410) 965–9501. The fax 

number is (410) 966–9310. 

VIII. Other Information 

Process Evaluation 

SSA plans to conduct a formal 

independent process evaluation of the 

WIPA Program, as well as individual 

projects, beginning in FY2007 to further 

assess the overall efficacy of the 

program in terms of assisting 

beneficiaries with disabilities return to 

work. The purpose of a process 

evaluation is for SSA and the awardees 

to assess how the WIPA Program 

functions and how the process (es) 

might be improved to provide more 

efficient and effective work incentives 

services, as required under section 1149 

of the Act. The process evaluation will 

require both data collection and 

qualitative observational evaluation 

through site visits and/or project 

reporting. 

Participant Experience 

The goal of these cooperative 

agreements is the provision of services 

to enhance beneficiary awareness and 

understanding of SSA work incentives 

and thereby enhance a beneficiaries’

ability to make informed choices 

regarding work. The goal is not to 

provide employment services, however 

employment is ultimately the key for 

many beneficiaries with disabilities in 

terms of gaining greater self-sufficiency. 

Projects shall submit periodic reports 

to SSA, OAG. Data and information that 

are used in preparing the reports can be 

used, for example, to improve the 

efficiency of the project’s operations, 

use of staff, and linkages between the 

project and the programs for which 

work incentives planning is needed to 

better meet the needs of target 

populations. In addition, the evaluation 

results will be disseminated to other 

projects to promote learning, program 

refinements, and facilitate partnership 

and achievement of project objectives. 

Timely comprehensive MI data also 

allows for cost accounting, which helps 

improve the efficiency of service 

approaches and may inform future 

policy decisions. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This notice contains reporting 

requirements. The information is 

collected by the Grants.gov Apply 

facility. However, in rare circumstances, 

the information may be collected using 

form SSA–96–BK, Federal Assistance 

Application, which has the Office of 

Management and Budget clearance 

number 0960–0184. 

Dated: October 10, 2006. 

Martin H. Gerry, 

Deputy Commissioner for Disability and 

Income Security Programs. 

[FR Doc. E6–17283 Filed 10–16–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 

[Docket No. SSA–2006–0077] 

Work Incentives Planning and 

Assistance (WIPA) Program PreApplication Teleconference Seminars 

AGENCY: Social Security Administration 

(SSA). 

ACTION: Notice of Teleconferences. 

DATES: October 26, 2006 

Time: 1 p.m. (Eastern Time) duration 

two hours. 

Call-in telephone number: (toll free) 

877–922–4780. 

Pass code: WIPA. 

Leader: Debbie Morrison. 

October 27, 2006 

Time: 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) duration 

two hours. 

Call-in telephone number: (toll free) 

877–922–4780. 

Pass code: WIPA. 

Leader: Debbie Morrison. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Type of meeting: Informational preapplication teleconference seminars 

open to all potential applicants for the 

Work Incentives Planning and 

Assistance (WIPA) Program (formerly 

the Benefits Planning, Assistance and 

Outreach (BPAO) Program). 

Purpose: SSA will hold informational 

pre-application teleconference seminars 

to solicit interest and encourage 

community-based organizations to 

apply for cooperative agreement awards. 

All interested applicants are invited to 

attend this call. 

Section 1149(d) of the Social Security 

Act (as added by Section 121 of the 

Ticket to Work and Work Incentives 

Improvement Act of 1999, Public Law 

106–170) required SSA to establish 

community based benefits planning and 

assistance in every State, the District of 

Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the 

Northern Mariana Islands, American 

Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. As 

authorized by Ticket to Work and Work 

Incentives Improvement Act, SSA 

established a program of cooperative 

agreements (monetary awards) granted 

to community-based organizations. 

These programs were formerly called 

the Benefit Planning and Assistance 

programs (BPAO). The new name for 

this program is the Work Incentive 

Planning and Assistance (WIPA) 

Projects. The WIPA program is to 

provide all of SSA’s beneficiaries with 

disabilities access to work incentives 

planning and assistance services. 

Section 407 of the Social Security 

Protection Act (Pub. L. 108–203) 

extended the authorization of this 

program through Fiscal Year 2009. 

SSA released a competitive Request 

for Applications in May 2006 but did 

not receive sufficient qualifying 

proposals to provide full national 

coverage. In October 2006 SSA released 

a competitive Request for Applications 

to announce funding availability for 

new cooperative agreements awards for 

the Work Incentives Planning and 

Assistance (WIPA) Program, for these 

specific areas: 

State of Alabama, the counties of 

Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, 

Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, 

Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, 

Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, 

Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, 

Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, 

Pike, Russell, Washington, and Wilcox; 

State of Indiana, the counties of 

Clark, Crawford, Davies, Dearborn, 

Dubois, Floyd, Gibson, Grant, Greene, 

Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, 

Jennings, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, 

Monroe, Ohio, Orange, Parke, Perry, 

Pike, Posey, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, 

Sullivan, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, 

Vermillion, Vigo, Warrick, Washington, 

and White; 

State of Kentucky, the counties of 

Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, 

Breathitt, Carter, Clark, Clay, Elliott, 

Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Garrard, 

Greenup, Harlan, Harrison, Jackson, 

Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, 

Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Madison, 

Magoffin, Martin, Mason, McCreary, 

Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, 

Nicholas, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, 

Pike, Powell, Robertson, Rockcastle, 

Rowan, Whitley, and Wolfe; 

State of Nevada, all counties; 

State of New York, the counties of 

Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, 

Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and 

Westchester; 

State of Ohio, the counties of 

Ashtabula, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, 

Summit, and Trumbull; 


bajohnson on PROD1PC69 with NOTICES
61130 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 17, 2006 / Notices 

Pacific territories of Guam, the 

Northern Mariana Islands, and 

American Samoa to be effective in 

calendar year 2007. 

The schedule (including date, time 

and call-in number of each preapplication seminar as it becomes 

available) will also be posted at the 

following Internet site: http:// 

www.socialsecurity.gov/work. 

Agenda: SSA will use the seminars to 

provide guidance and technical 

assistance to interested parties as they 

prepare to submit their applications. 

There will be a presentation of 

information followed by an operatorassisted question and answer period. 

The agenda will be posted on the 

Internet at http:// 

www.socialsecurity.gov/work one week 

before commencement of the seminars. 

The agenda can also be requested 

electronically or by fax upon request. 

Contact Information: Anyone 

requiring additional information should 

contact SSA Project Officer, Debbie 

Morrison by calling (410) 965–9054, or 

• Mail addressed to Social Security 

Administration, 6401 Security Blvd., 

Room 107 Altmeyer Building, 

Baltimore, MD 21235. 

• Fax at (410) 966–1278. 

• E-mail to debbie.morrison@ssa.gov. 

Dated: October 10, 2006. 

Martin H. Gerry, 

Deputy Commissioner for, Disability and 

Income Security Program. 

[FR Doc. 06–8730 Filed 10–16–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL 

No FEAR Act Notice 

AGENCY: Office of Special Counsel 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Special 

Counsel (OSC) is publishing its notice 

under the Notification and Federal 

Employee Antidiscrimination and 

Retaliation Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107–

174), as required by the Act and 5 CFR 

724. 

DATES: October 17, 2006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dorothy Timbs, Special Assistant, by 

mail at 1730 M Street, NW, Suite 218, 

Washington, DC 20036; by telephone, at 

(202) 254–3643; or by fax, at (202) 653–

5161. Additional information can be 

found on OSC’s web site at http:// 

www.osc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

‘‘Notification and Federal Employee 

Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act 

of 2002’’ (known as the No FEAR Act), 

agencies are required to notify 

employees, former employees, and 

applicants of their rights and remedies 

under Federal antidiscrimination and 

whistleblower protection laws 

applicable to them. The Office of 

Personnel Management (OPM) has 

published implementing regulations at 5 

CFR 724, which require notice and 

training, and include model language 

for agency notices. 

For these reasons, OSC is publishing 

this No FEAR Act Notice (also 

published on the agency’s web site at 

http://www.osc.gov ): 

On May 15, 2002, Congress enacted 

the ‘‘Notification and Federal Employee 

Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act 

of 2002,’’ which is now known as the 

No FEAR Act. One purpose of the Act 

is to ‘‘require that Federal agencies be 

accountable for violations of 

antidiscrimination and whistleblower 

protection laws.’’ Public Law 107–174, 

Summary. In support of this purpose, 

Congress found that ‘‘agencies cannot be 

run effectively if those agencies practice 

or tolerate discrimination.’’ Public Law 

107–174, Title I, General Provisions, 

section 101(1). 

The Act also requires this agency to 

provide this notice to Federal 

employees, former Federal employees 

and applicants for Federal employment 

to inform you of the rights and 

protections available to you under 

Federal antidiscrimination and 

whistleblower protection laws. 

Antidiscrimination Laws 

A Federal agency cannot discriminate 

against an employee or applicant with 

respect to the terms, conditions or 

privileges of employment on the basis of 

race, color, religion, sex, national origin, 

age, disability, marital status or political 

affiliation. Discrimination on these 

bases is prohibited by one or more of the 

following statutes: 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), 

29 U.S.C. 206(d), 29 U.S.C. 631, 29 

U.S.C. 633a, 29 U.S.C. 791 and 42 U.S.C. 

2000e–16. 

If you believe that you have been the 

victim of unlawful discrimination on 

the basis of race, color, religion, sex, 

national origin or disability, you must 

contact an Equal Employment 

Opportunity (EEO) counselor within 45 

calendar days of the alleged 

discriminatory action, or, in the case of 

a personnel action, within 45 calendar 

days of the effective date of the action, 

before you can file a formal complaint 

of discrimination with your agency. See, 

e.g., 29 CFR 1614. If you believe that 

you have been the victim of unlawful 

discrimination on the basis of age, you 

must either contact an EEO counselor as 

noted above or give notice of intent to 

sue to the Equal Employment 

Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 

180 calendar days of the alleged 

discriminatory action. If you are alleging 

discrimination based on marital status 

or political affiliation, you may file a 

written complaint with the U.S. Office 

of Special Counsel (OSC) (see contact 

information below). In 1the alternative 

(or in some cases, in addition), you may 

pursue a discrimination complaint by 

filing a grievance through your agency’s 

administrative or negotiated grievance 

procedures, if such procedures apply 

and are available. 

Whistleblower Protection Laws 

A Federal employee with authority to 

take, direct others to take, recommend 

or approve any personnel action must 

not use that authority to take or fail to 

take, or threaten to take or fail to take, 

a personnel action against an employee 

or applicant because of disclosure of 

information by that individual that is 

reasonably believed to evidence 

violations of law, rule or regulation; 

gross mismanagement; gross waste of 

funds; an abuse of authority; or a 

substantial and specific danger to public 

health or safety, unless disclosure of 

such information is specifically 

prohibited by law and such information 

is specifically required by Executive 

order to be kept secret in the interest of 

national defense or the conduct of 

foreign affairs. Retaliation against an 

employee or applicant for making a 

protected disclosure is prohibited by 5 

U.S.C. 2302(b)(8). If you believe that you 

have been the victim of whistleblower 

retaliation, you may file a written 

complaint (Form OSC–11) with the U.S. 

Office of Special Counsel at 1730 M 

Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 

20036–4505, or online through the OSC 

Web site (at http://www.osc.gov). 

Retaliation for Engaging in Protected 

Activity 

A Federal agency cannot retaliate 

against an employee or applicant 

because that individual exercises his or 

her rights under any of the Federal 

antidiscrimination or whistleblower 

protection laws listed above. If you 

believe that you are the victim of 

retaliation for engaging in protected 

activity, you must follow, as 

appropriate, the procedures described in 

the Antidiscrimination Laws and 

Whistleblower Protection Laws sections 

above (including, if applicable, 

administrative or negotiated grievance 

procedures) in order to pursue any legal 

remedy. 


bajohnson on PROD1PC69 with NOTICES