Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices 64873

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training

Administration

[SGA No. DFA 02–101]

Work Incentive Grants

AGENCY: Employment and Training

Administration (ETA), DOL.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds;

Solicitation for Grant Applications

(SGA).

This Notice Contains All of the

Necessary Information and Forms

Needed to Apply for Grant Funding.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor

(DOL), Employment and Training

Administration (ETA), announces the

availability of approximately $20

million to award competitive grants

designed to enhance the employability,

employment and career advancement of

people with disabilities through

enhanced service delivery in the new

One-Stop delivery system established

under the Workforce Investment Act of

1998 (WIA). The Work Incentive Grant

program will provide grant funds to

consortia and/or partnerships of public

and private non-profit entities working

in coordination with the One-Stop

delivery system to augment the existing

programs and services and ensure

programmatic access and streamlined,

seamless service delivery for people

with disabilities.

DATES: Applications will be accepted

commencing on the date of publication

of this solicitation. The closing date for

receipt of applications under this

announcement is January 28, 2002.

Applications must be received by 4 p.m.

(EST) at the address below. No

exceptions to the mailing and handdelivery conditions set forth in this

notice will be granted. Applications that

do not meet the conditions set forth in

this notice will not be honored.

ADDRESSES: Applications shall be

mailed to: U.S. Department of Labor,

Employment and Training

Administration, Division of Federal

Assistance, Attention: Ms. Yvonne

Harrell, SGA/DFA 02–101, 200

Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S–

4203, Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Questions should be faxed to Ms.

Yvonne Harrell, Grants Management

Specialist, Division of Federal

Assistance, Fax (202) 693–2879 (this is

not a toll-free number). All inquiries

should include the SGA number (DFA

02–101) and a contact name, fax and

phone numbers. This announcement

will also be published on the Internet on

the ETA’s disAbility online Home Page

at: http://wdsc.doleta.gov/disability/,

and the ETA homepage at http://

doleta.gov. Award notifications will also

be published on the ETA homepage.

Delivery of Applications

1. Late Applications. Any application

received after the exact date and time

specified for receipt at the office

designated in this notice will not be

considered, unless it is received before

awards are made and it (a) was sent by

U.S. Postal Service registered or

certified mail not later than the fifth

calendar day before the date specified

for receipt of applications (e.g., an

application submitted in response to a

solicitation requiring receipt of

applications by the 20th of the month

must have been post marked by the 15th

of that month); or (b) was sent by the

U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next

Day Service to addressee not later than

5 p.m. at the place of mailing two

working days prior to the date specified

for receipt of applications. The term

‘‘working days’’ excludes weekends and

Federal holidays. ‘‘Post marked’’ means

a printed, stamped or otherwise placed

impression (exclusive of a postage meter

machine impression) that is readily

identifiable, without further action, as

having been supplied or affixed on the

date of mailing by an employee of the

U.S. Postal Service.

2. Withdrawal of Applications.

Applications may be withdrawn by

written notice or telegram (including

mail gram) received at any time before

an award is made. Applications may be

withdrawn in person by the applicant or

by an authorized representative thereof,

if the representative’s identity is made

known and the representative signs a

receipt of the proposal.

3. Hand-Delivered Proposals. It is

preferred that applications be mailed at

least five days prior to the closing date.

To be considered for funding, handdelivered applications must be received

by 4 p.m., EST, at the specified address.

Failure to adhere to the above

instructions will be basis for a

determination of non-responsiveness.

Overnight express mail from carriers

other than the U.S. Postal Service will

be considered hand-delivered

applications and MUST BE RECEIVED

by the above specified date and time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Part I. Authority

Provisions relating to the One-Stop

delivery system are at sections #121,

134(c), 189(c) of the Workforce

Investment Act (29 U.S.C. 2841, 2864(c),

2939(c); Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C.

49f(e)) and Department of Labor

Appropriations Act for 2001 (Pub.

L.106–554). Regulations governing the

Workforce Investment Act are at 20 CFR

parts 652, 660 ‘‘ 671, #(65 FR 49294

(August 11, 2000)).

Part II. Background

The Workforce Investment Act of

1998 (WIA) establishes comprehensive

reform of existing Federal job training

programs with amendments impacting

service delivery under the WagnerPeyser Act, Adult Education and

Literacy Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.

WIA also repeals and supersedes the Job

Training Partnership Act. A number of

other Federal programs are also

identified as required partners in the

One-Stop delivery system in order to

provide comprehensive services for all

Americans to access the information

and resources available to assist them in

the development and implementation of

their career goals. The intention of the

One-Stop system is to establish

programs and providers in co-located

and integrated settings that are

accessible for individuals and

businesses alike in approximately 600

workforce investment areas established

throughout the nation.

WIA establishes State and Local

Workforce Investment Boards focused

on strategic planning, policy

development, and oversight of the

workforce system with significant

authority for the Governor and chief

elected officials in local areas to build

on existing reforms in order to

implement innovative and

comprehensive workforce investment

systems. Recognizing that many OneStop delivery systems may not currently

have the capacity to provide

comprehensive services to people with

disabilities, the Work Incentive Grant is

designed to provide seed monies to

support the development of the OneStop infrastructure with an objective of

achieving model, seamless and

comprehensive services for people with

disabilities.

Many people with disabilities are

looking to the new workforce

investment system to address their

employment and training needs in a

progressive, enlightened environment

with cutting-edge technologies. They

also expect the One-Stop delivery

system to provide comprehensive

services to meet multiple barriers,

which frequently limit their access to a

productive, economically rewarding

work life. These services may include,

but are not limited to, the availability of

basic skill development; vocational skill

training or advanced educational

opportunities; apprenticeship and

entrepreneurial training; transportation

64874 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices

assistance to reach training or

employment sites; housing assistance or

advice on retaining existing housing

upon employment; and access to

medical health coverage upon

employment. Twenty-three Work

Incentive Grants were awarded at the

end of Fiscal Year 2000 as the first

round of this grant program. If you

would like more information on last

year’s Work Incentive Grant awards,

please go to http://wdsc.doleta.gov/

disability/.

This Solicitation for Grant

Applications (SGA) is for grant awards

under the Work Incentive Grant

program with funds made available July

1, 2001, under the Fiscal Year 2001

appropriation. The Work Incentive

Grant program is consistent with the

objectives of the President’s New

Freedom Initiative. This year’s Work

Incentive Grant announcement places a

greater emphasis on addressing

infrastructure inadequacies and

programmatic access of the One-Stop

system for people with disabilities and

includes making a larger proportion of

grant funds available for procuring

assistive technology and establishing

adequate employment counseling

capacity than did previous work

incentive grants.

The Department of Labor’s Office of

Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

also has several grant initiatives

underway. These include a Customized

Employment Grant, Innovative

Demonstration Programs for WIAassisted Youth, High-School/High Tech

Start-up and Realignment Grants, and

WIA Disability Technical Assistance

Consortia. The Customized Employment

Grants are distinct from ETA’s Work

Incentive Grants in that the ODEP grants

will be awarded to Local Workforce

Investment Boards to develop

comprehensive, strategic and cuttingedge models of service delivery for

individuals with disabilities who have

never been employed, whose experience

is limited to subsidized employment, or

may be considered unable to be

employed. The Customized

Employment grants will involve cutting

edge approaches such as use of

customized employment strategies and

the active involvement of programs of

both required and non-required partners

of the workforce system. If you would

like more information on the ODEP

grants and other programs administered

by ODEP, please go to: http://

www.dol.gov/dol/odep/.

Part III. Funding Availability and

Period of Performance

The Department of Labor anticipates

awarding approximately 20–40 grants

ranging from $500,000 to $1 million.

The period of performance will be

approximately 30 months from the date

of execution by the Department. The

grant funds would be available for

expenditure until June 30, 2004, when

the authority for these funds will expire.

The Department may elect to extend

these grants based on the availability of

funds and satisfactory performance.

Part IV. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are State or Local

Workforce Investment Boards (‘‘State

Boards’’ or ‘‘Local Boards’’), established

under the Workforce Investment Act of

1998 (WIA) working in partnership with

other state and/or local, public and/or

private non-profit, disability-related

organizations. We encourage State or

Local Board to be the lead applicant.

However, if the State or Local Board is

not the lead it must be a partner in the

consortium. Eligible applicants

partnered with State or Local Broads

may be:

• State/local public agencies such as

Vocational Rehabilitation, Mental

Health, Mental Retardation/

Developmental Disability, or Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF);

and/or

• Private non-profit organizations

such as Centers for Independent Living

(CIL’s), disability advocacy, provider

organizations, federally-funded

disability grant entities, and other nonprofit organizations, including faithbased entities, which provide services

and/or advocacy for people with

disabilities.

The lead administrative and fiscal

agent applying for the grant must be

identified in the application.

Applications can be statewide in

scope. Statewide applications must

propose strategies for enhancing and

improving services to people with

disabilities involving all local workforce

investment areas in the State. State-wide

grant projects should obtain and provide

letters of commitment from Local

Boards to the extent possible. However,

a statewide project must include the

State Board as a consortium partner,

with applicable letters of commitment

provided in the application.

Applications that are not state-wide

projects but which involve one or more

local workforce investment areas should

also include letters of commitment from

each Local Board covered under the

grant, or one letter of commitment

signed by all Local Boards in the local

area (if all commitments cannot be

obtained, explanation must be

provided). Current Work Incentive

grantees may apply under this

solicitation, but must cover an increased

number of workforce investment areas;

identify significant need; address

outstanding deficiencies or a significant

improvement to the local workforce

investment system.

Indian and Native American Tribal

entities, or consortia of Tribes, may

apply for Work Incentive Grants. These

grants would involve coordination of

services and enhancements to an OneStop system approach for people with

disabilities in a specific Indian

community or covering multiple Tribal

entities which may cut across multiple

States and/or workforce investment

areas. In such cases, letters of

commitment from Local Boards may not

be applicable. Grants to Indian and

Native American tribal grantees are

treated differently because of

sovereignty and self-governance

established under the Indian SelfDetermination and Education

Assistance Act allowing for the

government-to-government relationship

between the Federal and Tribal

Governments.

Note: Except as specifically provided,

DOL/ETA acceptance of a proposal and an

award of federal funds to sponsor any

program(s) does not provide a waiver of any

grant requirement and/or procedures. For

example, the OMB circulars require that an

entity’s procurement procedures must

require that all procurement transactions

must be conducted, as practical, to provide

open and free competition. If a proposal

identifies a specific entity to provide the

services, the DOL/ETA’s award does not

provide the justification or basis to solesource the procurement, i.e., avoid

competition.

Part V. Format Requirements for Grant

Application

General Requirements—Applicants

must submit one (1) copy with an

original signature and 2 additional

copies of their proposal. The

Application Narrative must be doublespaced, and on single-sided, numbered

pages with the exception of format

requirements for the Executive

Summary. The Executive Summary

must be limited to no more than two

single-spaced, single-sided pages. A font

size of at least twelve (12) pitch is

required throughout.

There are three required sections of

the application. Requirements for each

section are provided in this application

package. Applications that fail to meet

the requirements will not be considered.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices 64875

Section I—Project Financial Plan

Section II—Executive Summary—Project

Synopsis

Section III—Project Narrative (Including

Appendices, Not To Exceed 40 Pages)

Section I. Project Financial Plan—

Section I of the application must

include the following two required

elements: (1) Standard Form (SF) 424,

Application for Federal Assistance, and

(2) Budget Information Form and budget

narrative. The application must include

one SF 424 with the original signatures

of the legal entity applying for grant

funding and 2 additional copies.

Applicants shall indicate on the SF 424

the organization’s IRS Status, if

applicable. Under the Lobbying

Disclosure Act of 1995, section 18 (29

U.S.C. 1611), an organization described

in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal

Revenue Code of 1986 which engages in

lobbying activities shall not be eligible

for the receipt of federal funds

constituting an award, grant, or loan.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) number is 17.207.

The Project Financial Plan will not

count against the application page

limits. The financial plan must describe

all costs associated with implementing

the project that are to be covered with

grant funds. All costs should be

necessary and reasonable according to

the Federal guidelines set forth in the

‘‘Uniform Administrative Requirements

for Grants and Cooperative Agreements

to State and Local Governments,’’ (also

known as the ‘‘Common Rule’’) codified

at 29 CFR part 97, and ‘‘Grants and

Agreements with Institutes of Higher

Education, Hospitals, and Other NonProfit Organizations (also known as

OMB Circular A–110), codified at 29

CFR part 95, and must comply with the

applicable OMB cost principles

circulars, as identified in 29 CFR 95.27

and 29 CFR 97.22(b).

The financial plan must contain the

following parts:

• Completed ‘‘SF 424—Application

for Federal Assistance’’ (See Appendix

A of this SGA for required form).

• Completed ‘‘Budget Information

Form’’ by line item for all costs required

to implement the project design

effectively. (See Appendix B of this SGA

for required forms.)

• Budget narrative/justification,

which provides sufficient information to

support the reasonableness of the costs,

included in the budget in relation to the

service strategy and planned outcomes.

Please Note: Work Incentive Grant project

designs may incorporate procurement or

implementation of software or hardware to

assure assistive and accessible technologies

in the One-Stop setting, which may equal up

to 40% of the grant award.

Section II. Executive Summary—

Project Synopsis [Format requirements

for the Executive Summary are limited

to no more than two single-spaced,

single-sided pages]

Each application shall include a

project synopsis, which identifies the

following:

• The applicant;

• The type of organization the

applicant represents;

• Identification of consortium

partners and the type of organizations

they represent;

• The project service area;

• Whether the service area is an

entire local workforce investment area,

more than one local area, or all local

areas in a State;

• The specific areas of focus in the

announcement which are addressed by

the project;

• The amount of funds requested;

• The planned period of performance;

• The comprehensive strategy

proposed for providing seamless service

delivery, for addressing the multifaceted barriers to training and

employment which affect people with

disabilities, and for improving access for

people with disabilities in the generic

workforce system;

• The ways in which the proposal is

coordinated with other disability related

grant initiatives from DOL, Department

of Education (ED), Department of Health

& Human Services (HHS), Social

Security Administration (SSA),

Department of Housing & Urban

Development (HUD) or other Federal

partners

• How counseling and other support

needs will be addressed in the One-Stop

Center system;

• The actions already taken by the

State or Local Workforce Investment

Board to address the needs of people

with disabilities in the One-Stop

delivery system;

• The extent to which the One-Stop

facilities and satellite site(s) incorporate

physical access for people with

disabilities;

• The extent to which Vocational

Rehabilitation is integrated or

coordinated with the One-Stop delivery

system;

• Data on the extent to which people

with disabilities have been served under

the Wagner-Peyser Act and previously,

under the Job Training Partnership Act,

and WIA;

• The level of commitment the

applicant and consortium members

have to serving people with disabilities;

and

• The extent and manner in which

the needs of individuals with

disabilities from diverse cultural and/or

ethnic groups will be addressed.

Section III. Project Narrative [Format

requirements limited to no more than

forty (40) double-spaced, single-sided,

numbered pages. Note: The Executive

Summary is not included in this forty

(40)-page limit].

Section III of the application, the

project narrative, the Government

Requirements/Statement of Work

section, as described below in the

‘‘Required Content for Work Incentive

Grant Applications—Program Year

2001.’’ The forty (40)-pages limit

includes any Attachments, which are

provided by the applicant. Letters of

general support or recommendation for

a proposal should NOT be submitted

and will count against the page limits.

However, letters of commitment or a

commitment signatory page are required

from partner/consortia organizations,

including State and/or Local Workforce

Investment Board(s) clearly stating their

intent to provide services and resources

to the grant. As noted in Part IV of this

solicitation, (Eligible Applicants),

should also include letters of

commitment from each Local Board

covered under the grant, or one letter of

commitment signed by all Local Boards

in the local area (if all commitments

cannot be obtained, explanation must be

provided).

Part VI. Monitoring and Reporting

Monitoring

The Department shall be responsible

for ensuring the effective

implementation of each competitive

grant project in accordance with the

provisions of this announcement and

the negotiated grant agreement.

Applicants should assume that

Department staff, or their designees

would conduct on-site project reviews,

periodically. Reviews will focus on

timely project implementation,

performance in meeting the grant’s

programmatic goals and objectives,

expenditure of grant funds on allowable

activities, integration and coordination

with other resources and service

providers in the local area, and project

management and administration in

achieving project objectives. Work

Incentive Grants may be subject to other

additional reviews at the discretion of

the Department.

Reporting

Grantees will be required to submit

quarterly financial and narrative

progress reports under the Work

Incentive Grant program covering the

workforce area(s) included in the grant

project design. DOL will analyze data of

workforce investment area(s) reports

submitted annually under the

64876 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices

Workforce Investment Standardized

Record Data (WIASARD) for workforce

areas covered under the grant. [Note:

Information on the WIASRD can be

found under performance accountability

at http://workforce.org].

• Financial reporting will be required

quarterly using the Standard Form

269—Financial Status Report (FSR).

• A narrative progress report will be

required quarterly.

• The Department of Labor plans to

establish a process report on a semiannual basis which includes summary

information pertaining to WIA

implementation and the numbers of

people with disabilities registered,

receiving training services, and

employed through the One-Stop system.

[Note: DOL will seek OMB review for

the collection of this data].

The Department will establish

performance goals with successful

applicants that are consistent with the

Department’s Government Performance

and Results Act (GPRA) goals.

Part VII. Rating Criteria

The Project Narrative, or Section III,

of the grant application should provide

complete information on how the

applicant will address the Department

of Labor’s priorities for the Fiscal Year

(FY) 2001 Work Incentive Grant

program to achieve enhancements to the

basic infrastructure and service delivery

of the One-Stop system, in particular

Wagner-Peyser and WIA-funded

programs. These are:

• Developing comprehensive OneStop Centers which are welcoming and

are valued providers of choice by

customers with disabilities seeking

workforce assistance by assuring the

availability of staff trained on disability

issues, personalized employment

counseling, coordinated planning

support related to employment barriers

and incentives, and availability of

accommodations and assistive

technologies for diverse disability

needs.

• Implement strategies, which

significantly increase opportunities for

skill training, employment and

workforce inclusion of people with

disabilities resulting in self-sustaining

employment and career advancement

through participation in the One-Stop

system.

The applicant should address

government requirements and statement

of work provisions outlined here as

these address the applicant’s needs and

project design to achieve the

Department’s priorities. Therefore, all

four criteria must be addressed but each

item under the criteria does not

necessarily have to be incorporated in

the applicant’s proposal design. At the

same time, it is important to provide full

information on the status of the

workforce environment as it impacts

people with disabilities.

1. Statement of Need [25 points]

• Identify the number of workforce

areas in the State and the geographic

jurisdiction of each local workforce

investment area(s) in the State.

• Identify which local areas(s) in the

State will be covered by the project and

whether the project is Statewide,

involves multiple local areas or is for a

single local area.

• Identify whether a Work Incentive

Grant award was received in the FY

2000 competition covering the

identified workforce investment areas in

this application and the reasons for

application under this Solicitation for

Grant Application.

• Identify consortium members if

any, their primary mission irrespective

of participation in the grant proposal,

and what political and geographic

jurisdictions (e.g., cities, counties,

subsections of cities/counties) they

cover.

• Describe how the project will

address a primary objective of the Work

Incentive Grant program to assure the

integration of people with disabilities

into the workforce investment system,

including the availability of WagnerPeyser and WIA Title I programs and

services.

• Identify the percentage of people

with disabilities in the State and/or

local area, including the percentage of

people who are beneficiaries of Social

Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

and/or Social Security Income Program

(SSI).

• Identify the most recent

unemployment rate(s) in the workforce

investment area(s) covering the project.

• Describe any significant

deficiencies in the State or local

workforce investment system that

represent barriers to employment for

people with disabilities and what will

be accomplished under this grant to

address them.

• Identify additional State and/or

local funds and resources that will be

used to support the overall objectives of

the grant and which will assist in

addressing the identified issues the

grant project is addressing.

• For proposals targeted to a specific

Indian community or covering multiple

Tribal entities which may cut across

multiple States and/or local areas,

describe the overall approach of the

project, and identify the inadequacies

and deficiencies of the service delivery

to the applicable community, and how

the project expects to address these.

• Recognizing that the One-Stop

delivery system may not have extensive

knowledge or skills in working with

people with disabilities, describe the

level of expertise of the One-Stop

system in the local area(s) addressed in

the grant and the projects plans for

addressing inadequacies.

• Describe the overall status and

actions taken to-date by the One-Stop

delivery system to address services to

people with disabilities. This should

include actions to ensure that, State

and/or local facilities are physically and

programmatically accessible; training is

provided to staff; that the number and

percent of people with disabilities

receiving services under Job Training

Partnership Act (JTPA), WIA and

Employment Service programs during

the previous three years compared with

that of people without disabilities; plans

to increase services to people with

disabilities, if applicable.

• Describe coordination and linkage

with regional Disability Business and

Technical Assistance Centers (DBTAC’s)

and State Governors Committees on

Employment of People with Disabilities.

For example, Have DBTAC’s provided

training to the One-Stop delivery system

on the Americans with Disabilities Act

(ADA), section 504 of the Rehabilitation

Act, or other disability-related training?

If not, are plans to do so incorporated

into the applicant project?

• Identify public and private nonprofit provider entities participating

under Job Training Partnership Act

(JTPA), WIA and Employment Service

grant program, and which barriers to

employment their programs and

services that are contributing to the

overall applicant proposal may address.

Specifically, describe State or local area

provisions regarding Medicaid and/or

Medicare coverage; current

transportation infrastructure; how

individuals with all types of disabilities

will access training, employment,

housing, food stamps and other

supportive services.

2. Comprehensive Service Strategy [25

points]

• Identify how you will ensure that

trained staff are available to provide

counseling or employment planning

support who have adequate knowledge

of diverse disabilities and information

on the following:

• Education and training program

options and opportunities available

under a broad array of programs such as

Adult Education, Individuals with

Disability Education Act for those under

22 without a high school degree,

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices 64877

Vocational Education, Vocational

Rehabilitation and School-to-Work

programs for adults and youth with

disabilities;

• Services and resources for a wide

range of disabilities, which may include

both documented and undocumented

physical, sensory, developmental/

cognitive (e.g., mental retardation and

learning disabilities, among others),

mental and other health related

functional disabilities;

• Tax benefits and incentives to

employers of people with disabilities

that provide financial support for

workplace modifications and

accommodations;

• Entrepreneurial, job carving and

other employment options for people

with disabilities;

• Impact of employment on

individual benefits such as SSDI, SSI,

TANF, Medicaid, Medicare, subsidized

housing, and food stamps;

• Availability of Social Security work

incentive programs and Ticket to Work

options available to SSDI and SSI

recipients; and

• Other resources available to assure

successful employment and job

retention such as transportation and

housing options.

• Describe changes to be achieved

under the grant to create seamless

service delivery for One-Stop customers

with disabilities.

• Describe the process that will be

used to maintain and expand the service

structure for individuals with

disabilities accessing the workforce

investment system.

• Describe how people with

disabilities who are not eligible for

Vocational Rehabilitation services or do

not fall under the State’s Order of

Selection will be served through

Wagner-Peyser services or WIA services

through the Adult, Dislocated Worker,

Youth or National Programs, including

programs and services under the Older

Americans Act.

• Identify the provisions of

Memoranda of Understanding or other

agreements between the partners, State

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agency,

the State Rehabilitation Council, and the

State or Local Boards in terms of the

provision of services to people with

disabilities; the plans for cost sharing;

the arrangements for referral of people

with disabilities between WIA Title I

programs and VR as appropriate; the

extent of integration and co-location of

VR in One-Stop Centers, including

sharing of Management Information

Systems (MIS) or participation in case

management data base technologies; the

extent to which there is joint funding of

participant services or leveraging of

funds to expand access to services; and

use of Individual Training Accounts

(ITA’s) for people with disabilities.

• Describe linkages with the State and

local Independent Living Center (CIL)

systems; Mental Health Departments,

Mental Retardation/Developmental

Disability Agencies, State Councils on

Developmental Disabilities, State

Vocational Rehabilitation, and Councils

on Employment and other local

provider or advocate organizations

serving individuals with developmental

and/or psychiatric disabilities,

including how these agencies fit in a

comprehensive service delivery strategy.

• Describe coordination and linkages

with Learning Disabilities and Training

Dissemination hub centers established

under grants from the U.S. Department

of Education’s Office of Vocational and

Adult Education and how these may be

used to provide services to people with

learning and other disabilities.

• Identify how State TANF programs

and Welfare to Work (WtW) competitive

grant projects will be linked or

leveraged with objectives of the

applicant’s project.

• Identify plans and strategies to

develop the capacity of the

comprehensive One-Stop Center to

function as an Employment Network

under the Ticket to Work & Work

Incentive Improvement Act (TWWIIA).

Project plans in this regard should

involve building the capacity of the

WIA Title I programs and One-Stop

system so that more in-depth services

and information will be readily

available to individuals with disabilities

at the comprehensive One-Stop Center.

The description of increased capacity

must be an adjunct to the State

Vocational Rehabilitation Agency,

which is an automatic Employment

Network provider under the TWWIIA.

• Describe how the project will be

coordinated with grant programs, which

are funded under the SSA Benefits

Planning, Assistance and Outreach

Cooperative Agreement and HHS

Medicaid Infrastructure Grant programs,

if applicable.

3. Innovation and Model Services [25

points]

• Describe your strategy for

substantially increasing the number and

percent of people with disabilities

served, trained and entered into

unsubsidized employment through the

One-Stop Center system, particularly in

WIA Title I programs. This should be

related to, or refer back to, service

delivery history under JTPA and the

first year of WIA identified under the

Statement of Need.

• Describe the status of accessible

technologies within the Comprehensive

One-Stop and plans to procure and

implement accessible technologies,

including video interpreting services for

clients who are deaf or electronic door

openers for wheelchair users, and how

they address current system

deficiencies.

• Identify the scope of technology

implementations, if applicable, and the

extent to which implementation is

comprehensive and across the

workforce area(s) and/or statewide.

• Identify whether assessment tools

are used to identify individuals with

learning disabilities in the One-Stop

delivery system, including plans and

processes to identify applicable

assessment tools, train staff and

incorporate such assessments as part of

the service delivery structure.

• Describe how public supports

needed by people with disabilities may

be affected by their employment or

training and State or local conditions,

and actions to sustain benefits and

services following successful job

placement. For example, does the State

or local area have provisions to continue

supported or Section 8A housing (The

Housing Act of 1992, Title IV), where

applicable, for individuals who enter

unsubsidized employment?

• Has the State adopted Medicaid

‘‘buy-in’’ options, or are there Medicaid

waivers that extend health care coverage

for individuals who enter employment?

• Describe plans for outreach and

marketing to the disability community

and organizations which represent or

work with people with disabilities; and

plans for training disability-related

organizations on the resources and

programs available to them in the OneStop system.

• Identify individualized strategies

that establish client control of training

funds, VR funds, ITA’s, or other funding

sources to which these individuals may

have access, and co-mingle funds in a

seamless, customer friendly manner,

including plans for obtaining waivers to

the extent program requirements

necessitate this.

• Identify plans or strategies to

deploy Ticket to Work voucher

provisions for beneficiaries of SSDI and

recipients of SSI.

• Describe strategies to foster

entrepreneurial and self-employment

options using ITA’s, Plans for Achieving

Self-Support (PASS) and other SSA

work incentives, and Medicaid coverage

for individuals with disabilities who

start or return to work.

• Describe specific approaches for

developing relationships with and

support of area employers that establish

64878 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices

employment opportunities for

individuals with disabilities accessing

the One-Stop delivery system, including

any commitments by employers to hire

these individuals.

• Describe how opportunities for

competitive employment for individuals

with disabilities will be provided or

developed within the local workforce

investment area and how this is unique

or different than what is normally

performed by the applicant(s).

• Identify available Federal and State

tax incentives available to employers

when hiring an individual with a

disability; how this information will be

marketed and disseminated to

employers, the individual and

workforce staff; and how employers may

use such tax credits to address

structural and technological

accommodation needs.

• Describe opportunities for

increasing integrated, competitive

employment through use of strategies

such as individualized job development

for individuals with the most significant

disabilities currently working in

segregated facilities or waiting for

employment services.

4. Demonstrated Capability [25 points]

• Identify whether the State or Local

Boards will be the lead for the grant

project and how they will include the

disability community in plans.

• Identify the critical activities, time

frames and responsibilities for

effectively implementing the project,

including the management and

evaluation process for assuring

successful implementation of grant

objectives.

• Include a project organizational

chart, which identifies the staff with key

management responsibilities, including

a matrix of organizational

responsibilities of key entities and

participating consortium organizations,

where applicable.

• Describe the specific experience of

the applicant(s) in serving people with

disabilities, in providing workforce

services, in addressing specific barriers

to employment, in achieving expected

outcomes in the delivery of such

services/programs, and in implementing

and administering specific project plans

of the grant project. For example, such

information might include the local

Department of Transportation as a key

partner agency addressing

transportation barriers and how this

entity has participated in similar efforts

in the past and the success of these past

efforts, and potential success of

coordination on the applicant(s) grant

project.

Part VIII. Review Process and

Evaluation Criteria

A careful evaluation of applications

will be made by a technical review

panel, which will evaluate the

applications against the criteria listed in

this SGA. The panel results are advisory

in nature and not binding on the Grant

Officer. The Department may elect to

award grants either with or without

discussion with the offeror. In situations

without discussions, an award will be

based on the offeror’s signature on the

SF 424, which constitutes a binding

offer. The Grant Officer may consider

any information that is available and

will make final award decisions based

on what is most advantageous to the

Government, considering factors such

as:

• Panel findings;

• Geographic distribution of the

competitive applications;

• The availability of funds.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 11th day of

December, 2001.

James W. Stockton,

Grant Officer.

Appendix ‘‘A’’—Application for Federal Assistance (SF–424) (with instructions)

Appendix ‘‘B’’—Budget Information Form (with budget narrative instructions)

Appendix ‘‘C’’—Application Cover Sheet

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[FR Doc. 01–30923 Filed 12–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–30–C

64884 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment Standards

Administration, Wage and Hour

Division

Minimum Wages for Federal and

Federally Assisted Construction;

General Wage Determination Decisions

General wage determination decisions

of the Secretary of Labor are issued in

accordance with applicable law and are

based on the information obtained by

the Department of Labor from its study

of local wage conditions and data made

available from other sources. They

specify the basic hourly wage rates and

fringe benefits which are determined to

be prevailing for the described classes of

laborers and mechanics employed on

construction projects of a similar

character and in the localities specified

therein.

The determinations in these decisions

of prevailing rates and fringe benefits

have been made in accordance with 29

CFR part 1, by authority of the Secretary

of Labor pursuant to the provisions of

the Davis-Bacon Act of March 3, 1931,

as amended (46 Stat. 1494, as amended,

40 U.S.C. 276a) and of other Federal

statutes referred to in 29 CFR part 1,

Appendix, as well as such additional

statutes as may from time to time be

enacted containing provisions for the

payment of wages determined to be

prevailing by the Secretary of Labor in

accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act.

The prevailing rates and fringe benefits

determined in these decisions shall, in

accordance with the provisions of the

foregoing statutes, constitute the

minimum wages payable on Federal and

federally assisted construction projects

to laborers and mechanics of the

specified classes engaged on contract

work of the character and in the

localities described therein.

Good cause is hereby found for not

utilizing notice and public comment

procedure thereon prior to the issuance

of these determinations as prescribed in

5 U.S.C. 553 and not providing for delay

in the effective date as prescribed in that

section, because the necessity to issue

current construction industry wage

determinations frequently and in large

volume causes procedures to be

impractical and contrary to the public

interest.

General wage determination

decisions, and modifications and

supersedes decisions thereto, contain no

expiration dates and are effective from

their date of notice in the Federal

Register or on the date written notice is

received by the agency, whichever is

earlier. These decisions are to be used

in accordance with the provisions of 29

CFR parts 1 and 5. Accordingly, the

applicable decision, together with any

modifications issued, must be made a

part of every contract for performance of

the described work within the

geographic area indicated as required by

an applicable Federal prevailing wage

law and 29 CFR part 5. The wage rates

and fringe benefits, notice of which is

published herein, and which are

contained in the Government Printing

Office (GPO) document entitled

‘‘General Wage Determinations Issued

Under the Davis-Bacon And Related

Acts,’’ shall be the minimum paid by

contractors and subcontractors to

laborers and mechanics.

Any person, organization, or

governmental agency having an interest

in the rates determined as prevailing is

encouraged to submit wage rate and

fringe benefit information for

consideration by the Department.

Further information and selfexplanatory forms for the purpose of

submitting this data may be obtained by

writing to the U.S. Department of Labor,

Employment Standards Administration,

Wage and Hour Division, Division of

Wage Determinations, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW., Room S–3014,

Washington, DC 20210.

New General Wage Determination

Decision

The number of the decisions added to

the Government Printing Office

document entitled ‘‘General Wage

determinations Issued Under the DavisBacon and related Acts’’ are listed by

Volume and States:

Volume V

New Mexico

NM010011 (Dec. 14, 2001)

Modification to General Wage

Determination Decisions

The number of the decisions listed to

the Government Printing Office

document entitled ‘‘General Wage

Determinations Issued Under the DavisBacon and related Acts’’ being modified

are listed by Volume and State. Dates of

publication in the Federal Register are

in parentheses following the decisions

being modified.

Volume I

New Hampshire

NH010001 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NH010005 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NH010007 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NH010008 (Mar. 2, 2001)

New Jersey

NJ010001 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NJ010002 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NJ010003 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Volume II

Delaware

DE010002 (Mar. 2, 2001)

DE010005 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Pennsylvania

PA010001 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010002 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010004 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010005 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010012 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010014 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010015 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010017 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010018 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010019 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010020 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010025 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010030 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010040 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010042 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010050 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010054 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010060 (Mar. 2, 2001)

PA010065 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Volume III

Kentucky

KY010004 (Mar. 2, 2001)

KY010029 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Volume IV

Illinois

IL010001 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010002 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010004 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010006 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010008 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010018 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010028 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010034 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010044 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010047 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010049 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010060 (Mar. 2, 2001)

IL010063 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Minnesota

MN010001 (Mar. 2, 2001)

MN010003 (Mar. 2, 2001)

MN010005 (Mar. 2, 2001)

MN010012 (Mar. 2, 2001)

MN010039 (Mar. 2, 2001)

MN010043 (Mar. 2, 2001)

MN010049 (Mar. 2, 2001)

MN010057 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Volume V

Iowa

IA010031 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Louisiana

LA010005 (Mar. 2, 2001)

LA010009 (Mar. 2, 2001)

LA010018 (Mar. 2, 2001)

LA010031 (Mar. 2, 2001)

Nebraska

NE010001 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NE010003 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NE010009 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NE010011 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NE010019 (Mar. 2, 2001)

New Mexico

NM010001 (Mar. 2, 2001)

NM010005 (Mar. 2, 2001)