Selective Service registration for WIA services

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2011/tegl_11_11acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
                                                            WIA
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                              CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
                                                            OWI-DWASWS
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
                                                            DATE
             Washington, D.C. 20210
                                                            November 23, 2011


ADVISORY: TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 11-11

TO:            STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
               STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
               STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD DIRECTORS
               COMPREHENSIVE AND AFFILIATE ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER
               DIRECTORS
               DISCRETIONARY GRANTEES

FROM:          JANE OATES /s/
               Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:       Selective Service Registration Requirements for Workforce Investment Act and
               Wagner-Peyser-funded programs

1. Purpose. This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) provides information on
   the Selective Service registration requirements for Workforce Investment Act-funded
   services established by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) § 189(h), codified at 20 CFR
   667.250, and the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 453), codified at 32 CFR
   Part 1605.

2. Selective Service Registration Requirements. Men born on or after January 1, 1960 are
   required to register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday (i.e. 30 days
   before or 30 days after their birthday.) This includes males who are:
   • Citizens of the U.S.;
   • Non-citizens, including illegal aliens, legal permanent residents, seasonal agricultural
       workers, and refugees, who take up residency in the U.S. before their 26th birthday;
       and/or
   • Dual nationals of the U.S. and another country regardless of whether they live in the U.S.

   For U.S. citizens, Selective Service registration is not required if the man falls within one of
   the following categories:
   • Men who are serving in the military on full-time active duty;
   • Men attending the service academies;
   • Disabled men who were continually confined to a residence, hospital or institution;
       and/or


 RESCISSIONS                                               EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                      Continuing


   •   Men who are hospitalized, institutionalized, or incarcerated are not required to register
       during their confinement; however, they must register within 30 days after being released
       if they have not yet reached their 26th birthday.

   For non-U.S. citizens, Selective Service registration is not required if the man falls within
   one of the following categories:
   • Non-U.S. male who came into this country for the first time after his 26th birthday.
      Acceptable forms of supporting documentation include:
      1. Date of entry stamp in his passport;
      2. I-94 with date of entry stamp on it; or
      3. Letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicating the
           date the man entered the United States presented in conjunction with documentation
           establishing the individual’s age.
   • Non-U.S. male who entered the U.S. illegally after his 26th birthday. He must provide
      proof that he was not living in the U.S. from age 18 through 25.
   • Non-U.S. male on a valid non-immigrant visa.

   This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Please visit the Selective Service website for more
   information about the registration requirements at www.sss.gov. The Selective Service
   System also provides a quick reference chart showing who must register located at
   http://www.sss.gov/PDFs/WhoMustRegisterChart.pdf.

3. Ensuring Selective Service Compliance in the Public Workforce System. In order to be
   eligible to receive WIA-funded services, all males born on or after January 1, 1960 must
   present documentation showing compliance with the Selective Service registration
   requirement. Acceptable documentation to determine a person’s Selective Service
   registration status include:
   • Selective Service Acknowledgement letter
   • Form DD-214 “Report of Separation”
   • Screen printout of the Selective Service Verification site:
       www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfVerification.aspx. For males who have already registered, this
       website can be used to confirm their Selective Service number as well as the date of
       registration, by entering a last name, social security number, and date of birth.
   • Selective Service Registration Card
   • Selective Service Verification Form (Form 3A)
   • Stamped Post Office Receipt of Registration

   Registration Requirements for Males Under 26
   Before being enrolled in WIA-funded services, all males who are not registered with the
   Selective Service and have not reached their 26th birthday must register through the Selective
   Service website at www.sss.gov. If a male turns 18 while participating in WIA-funded
   services, registration with Selective Service must be completed no later than 30 days after he
   becomes 18 in order to continue to receive WIA-funded services. If a man under the age of
   26 refuses to register with the Selective Service, WIA-funded services must be suspended
   until he registers.

   Registration Requirements for Males 26 Years and Over
   Before enrolling in WIA-funded services, all males, 26 years of age or older, must provide
   documentation of compliance with the Selective Service registration requirement.
   Individuals who did not register for the Selective Service or who cannot provide any of the


documentation listed in Section 3 must obtain a Status Information Letter from Selective
Service indicating whether he was required to register. The Request for Status Information
Letter form can be accessed at http://www.sss.gov/PDFs/infoform.pdf and the instructions
can be accessed at http://www.sss.gov/PDFs/instructions.pdf. The individual will need to
describe, in detail, the circumstances that prevented him from registering (e.g.,
hospitalization, institutionalization, incarceration, military service) and provide
documentation of those circumstances. The documentation should be specific as to the dates
of the circumstances.

If the Status Information Letter indicates that an individual was not required to register for
the Selective Service, then he is eligible to enroll in WIA-funded service. If the Status
Information Letter indicates that the individual was required to register and now
cannot because he is 26 or older, he is presumed to be disqualified from participation in
WIA-funded activities and services until it can be determined that his failure to register
was not knowing and willful. All costs associated with grant-funded services provided to
non-eligible individuals may be disallowed.

Determining Knowing and Willful Failure to Register
If the individual was required but failed to register with the Selective Service, the individual
may only receive services if they establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the failure
to register was not knowing and willful. The grantee, subgrantee, or contractor that enrolls
individuals in WIA-funded activities, and is thereby authorized to approve the use of WIA
grant funds, is the entity responsible for evaluating the evidence presented by the individual
and determining whether the failure to register was a knowing and willful failure.

Evidence presented may include the individual’s written explanation and supporting
documentation of his circumstances at the time of the required registration and the reasons
for failure to register. The individual should be encouraged to offer as much evidence and in
as much detail as possible to support his case. The following are examples of documentation
that may be of assistance in making a determination in these cases:

1. Service in Armed Forces. Evidence that a man has served honorably in the U.S. Armed
    Forces such as DD Form 214 or his Honorable Discharge Certificate. Such documents
    may be considered sufficient evidence that his failure to register was not willful or
    knowing.
2. Third Party Affidavits. Affidavits from parents, teachers, employers, doctors, etc.
    concerning reasons for not registering, may also be helpful to grantees in making
    determinations in cases regarding willful and knowing failure to register.

In order to establish consistency regarding the implementation of the requirement, grantees
should consider the following questions when determining whether a failure to register is
knowing and willful.

In determining whether the failure was “knowing”, the authorized organization should
consider:
• Was the individual aware of the requirement to register?
• If the individual knew about the requirement to register, was he misinformed about the
    applicability of the requirement to him (e.g., veterans who were discharged before their
    26th birthday were occasionally told that they did not need to register)?
• On which date did the individual first learn that he was required to register?
• Where did the individual live when he was between the ages of 18 and 26?


   •   Does the status information letter indicate that Selective Service sent letters to the
       individual at that address and did not receive a response?

   In determining whether the failure was “willful”, the authorized organization should
   consider:
   • Was the failure to register done deliberately and intentionally?
   • Did the individual have the mental capacity to choose whether or not to register and
       decided not to register?
   • What actions, if any, did the individual take when he learned of the requirement to
       register?

   If an authorized organization determines it was not a knowing and willful failure and the
   individual is otherwise eligible, services may be provided. If the authorized organization
   determines that evidence shows that the individual’s failure to register was knowing and
   willful, WIA services must be denied. Individuals denied services must be advised of
   available WIA grievance procedures. Authorized organizations must keep documentation
   related to evidence presented in determinations related to Selective Service.

4. Inquiries. Direct all inquiries to Employment and Training Administration Federal Project
   Officer.