Phasing out 2009 TAA amendments

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2010/TEGL16-10acc.pdf

                                                          CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                 TAA
                                                          CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                            OTAA
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                        DATE
             Washington, D.C. 20210                       December 15, 2010




ADVISORY:         TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 16-10

TO:               STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                  STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
                  ONE-STOP CENTER SYSTEM LEADS
                  STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
                  STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND
                  DIRECTORS
                  STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS

FROM:             JANE OATES /s/
                  Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:          Instructions for Phasing Out Changes to the Trade Act of 1974 Enacted by the
                  Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009

1. Purpose. To provide guidance to the State Workforce Agencies or agencies designated by
Governors as “Cooperating State Agencies” (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as “states”) for
phasing out the amendments to the Trade Act of 1974 enacted by the Trade and Globalization
Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 (TGAAA or the 2009 Amendments). Because December 31,
2010 (the statutory deadline) is a Federal holiday, followed by Saturday, January 1, and Sunday
January 2, petitions received on and before 11:59 PM EST, Monday, January 3, will be governed
by the 2009 Amendments, and workers covered by those petitions may be eligible for the
benefits and services provided by those Amendments. Petitions filed after that date and time will
be governed under the prior law, and workers covered by those petitions may be eligible for the
benefits and services provided under that prior law.

2. References. The Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009, Division B,
Title I, Subtitle I of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, (Pub. L. No. 111-5,
enacted February 17, 2009); Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002, Division A Title
I, Subtitle A of the Trade Act of 2002, (Pub. L. No. 107-210) (2002 Amendments); the Trade
Act of 1974, as amended (Pub. L. No. 93-618, as amended) (Trade Act); Wagner-Peyser Act, as
amended (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.) (Wagner-Peyser); the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, as
amended (Pub. L. No. 105-220) (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) (WIA); 20 CFR Part 617; 29 CFR Part
90; 20 CFR Part 618; Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 9-09, Fiscal Year
(FY) 2010 State Initial Allocations and the Process for Requesting Additional Trade Adjustment
Assistance (TAA) Program Reserve Funds; TEGL No. 22-08 and Change 1, Operating
Instructions for Implementing the Amendments to the Trade Act of 1974 Enacted by the Trade
and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009; TEGL No. 4-08 and Change 1, Fiscal


 RESCISSIONS                                             EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                    Continuing
Year (FY) 2009 State Supplemental Training Fund Distributions Including Case Management
Funds and the Process for Requesting Additional Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program
Reserve Funds; TEGL No. 11-02, Operating Instructions for Implementing the Amendments to
the Trade Act of 1974 Enacted by the Trade Act of 2002, and Changes 1, 2, and 3; TEGL No. 2-
03, Interim Operating Instructions for Implementing the Alternative Trade Adjustment
Assistance (ATAA) for Older Workers Program Established by the Trade Adjustment Assistance
Reform Act of 2002, and Change 1; and TEGL No. 5-00, Attachment B, Guidance on Integrating
Services under the Trade Act Programs - Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and North
American Free Trade Agreement - Transitional Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA-TAA) - with
the Services Provided under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13).

3. Background. The TAA program, under chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2271
et seq.), provides adjustment assistance for workers whose jobs have been adversely affected by
international trade. The TAA program for workers was first established by the Trade Act of
1974, and has been amended numerous times over the past 35 years. The latest amendments,
referred to as the 2009 Amendments, are contained in the TGAAA. Before the 2009
Amendments, the program was operated under the provisions of Trade Act, as amended by the
2002 Amendments.

When the Department of Labor (Department) implemented the 2009 Amendments, TEGL No.
22-08 provided that petitions filed on or after May 18, 2009, would be governed by the 2009
Amendments and the 2009 Amendments would apply to benefits and services available to
workers covered under certifications of these petitions. Benefits and services received by
workers covered by certifications of petitions filed before May 18, 2009, would continue to be
governed by the provisions of the Trade Act, as amended by the 2002 Amendments. This
distinction meant that CSAs would be providing benefits under two different sets of rules for
workers covered by certifications of petitions filed before, and on or after, May 18, 2009.

Section 1893 (a)(1) of the TGAAA provides that the 2009 Amendments “shall not apply [to
petitions filed] on or after January 1, 2011.” Thus, the law provides that workers covered by
certifications of petitions filed on and after May 18, 2009, and before January 1, 2011, will
continue to receive the benefits and services that were available under the 2009 Amendments.
The exception is that the decrease in the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) that goes into
effect beginning with the month of January, 2011, applies to all recipients (including workers
covered by certifications of petitions filed under the 2009 Amendments), regardless of when
their petition was filed.

The TGAAA further provides that, beginning on January 1, 2011, the TAA for workers program
will be administered as if the 2009 Amendments had never happened, except that workers
covered by certifications of petitions filed on or after May 18, 2009, and on or before January 1,
2011, will receive benefits and services as provided under the 2009 Amendments, including the
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA) program for older workers. Petitions filed
on or after January 1, 2011, and benefits and services under certifications of those petitions, will
be governed by the 2002 Amendments, including the Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance
(ATAA) for Older Workers program, the predecessor (and now successor) to RTAA. The
specific statutory language of the “sunset provisions” reads as follows:



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       SEC. 1893. TERMINATION; RELATED PROVISIONS.
        (a) SUNSET.—
        (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the amendments made by this subtitle to
       chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.) shall
       not apply on or after January 1, 2011.
       (2) EXCEPTION.—The amendments made by this subtitle to section 285 of the Trade
       Act of 1974 shall continue to apply on and after January 1, 2011, with respect to—
       (A) workers certified as eligible for trade adjustment assistance benefits under chapter 2
       of title II of that Act pursuant to petitions filed under section 221 of that Act before
       January 1, 2011;
       (b) APPLICATION OF PRIOR LAW.—Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of title II of the Trade
       Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.) shall be applied and administered beginning January
       1, 2011, as if the amendments made by this subtitle (other than part VI) had never been
       enacted, except that in applying and administering such chapters—
       (5) subject to subsection (a)(2), section 285 of that Act shall be applied and
       administered—
       (A) in subsection (a), by substituting ‘‘2011’’ for ‘‘2007’’ each place it appears.

4. Effective Date. Federal regulations at 29 CFR 90.2 define “date of filing” as the “date on
which petitions are received by” the Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance (DTAA), now the
Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA). December 31, 2010 is a Federal Holiday and
therefore, mail will not be received by OTAA that day, nor will technical support be available on
January 1 and 2, 2011 as they are not business days. Therefore, in order to be considered “filed
before January 1, 2011” and covered under the 2009 Amendments, a petition must be received
by OTAA by 11:59 PM on January 3, 2011. It is not sufficient for a petition to be postmarked
before that date. In addition, due to security procedures, mail to the Department of Labor is
often delayed. Therefore, the Department strongly recommends that petitioners who wish to be
considered under the 2009 Amendments file early and file online or by fax to ensure receipt on
or before 11:59 PM EST on Monday, January 3, 2011. Petitions filed after 11:59 PM EST
on Monday, January 3, 2011, will be governed under the 2002 amendments, and workers
covered by these petitions will be eligible for TAA program benefits and services under the 2002
Amendments.

A petition is filed in time to be considered under the 2009 Amendments if it is received:
    Via mail at the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance at Employment and Training
     Administration (ETA), United States Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW,
     Washington DC 20210 on or before 5:00 PM EST January 3, 2011;
    Via fax to 202-693-3585 on or before 11:59 PM EST January 3, 2011. The Department
     strongly suggests that petitioners retain the fax cover sheet with the date and time stamp.
    Via online petition processing located on the OTAA’s website, www.doleta.gov/tradeact,
     and a confirmation email generated by the system is sent to the worker that indicates the
     petition was received in the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance on or before 11:59 PM
     EST January 3, 2011.




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As long as a petition is received on or before 11:59 PM EST on January 3, 2011, the fact that it
is certified after that date, does not affect covered workers’ eligibility for benefits under the 2009
Amendments. The date and time in the Eastern Standard Time (EST) time zone controls whether
a petition is timely.

5. Instructions. In order to implement the sunset provisions of the TGAAA, states will serve
workers in the TAA program covered by petitions filed on or after January 4, 2011, under the
provisions of the 2002 Amendments, as they were in effect before the TGAAA. However,
regulatory changes to program administration and funding at 29 CFR part 618 will continue to
apply on and after January 4, 2011.

In order to help states determine whether either the 2009 Amendments or the 2002 Amendments
govern benefits and services for a specific worker, the Department will once again start a new
petition number series. Workers covered by the 2002 Amendments before the 2009
Amendments went into effect were identified by petition numbers ranging from 50,000 to
69,999. Workers covered by the 2009 Amendments were identified by petition numbers ranging
from 70,000 to 79,999.

Due to the Federal Holiday that falls on December 31, 2010, the Department will identify
petitions received on or after January 4, 2011, and therefore covered under the 2002
Amendments, with petition numbers greater than 80,000.

Therefore, CSAs will be required to manage benefits and services for three distinct cohorts:

          i. Workers covered by petitions filed on or before May 17, 2009, identified by a
             petition number lower than 70,000. These workers are subject to the provisions of
             the 2002 Amendments, as implemented in TEGL No. 11-02 and Changes, 1, 2, and
             3; TEGL No. 2-03, and Change 1; as well as regulations codified at 20 CFR parts
             617 and 618, and 29 CFR part 90.

         ii. Workers covered by petitions filed on or after May 18, 2009, and on or before
             11:59 PM on January 3, 2011, identified by petition numbers greater than 70,000
             and less than 80,000. These workers are subject to the provisions of the 2009
             Amendments as implemented in TEGL No. 22-08 and Change 1; as well as
             regulations codified at 20 CFR parts 617 and 618, and 29 CFR part 90.

        iii. Workers covered by petitions filed on or after January 4, 2011, identified by a
             petition number greater than 80,000. These workers are subject to the provisions of
             the 2002 Amendments as implemented in TEGL No. 11-02, and Changes 1, 2, and
             3; and TEGL No. 2-03, and Change 1; as well as regulations at 20 CFR parts 617
             and 618 and 29 CFR part 90.

In addition, funds designated for expenditure on employment and case management services may
only be expended to provide those services for workers covered by the 2009 Amendments.
Workers covered by the 2002 Amendments are not entitled to TAA-funded employment and
case management services, although states are required to make every reasonable effort to secure
those services through other Federal programs.



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 6. Key TGAAA Provisions that Will No Longer Apply. The 2009 Amendments made
several substantial programmatic changes that will no longer apply under the reversion to the
2002 Amendments. Below is a summary of changes that will apply to petitions filed on or after
January 4, 2011, and workers covered under certifications of those petitions:

   Group Eligibility Provisions Will No Longer Cover
    Workers in firms that supply only services;
    Workers in firms impacted by shifts in production to countries that are not in a free trade
      agreement with the United States or beneficiary countries under certain statutes will only
      be eligible if those shifts are accompanied by an increase in imports to the U.S.
    Workers in public agencies;
    Workers in firms that produce component parts for finished products of its customers
      with increased imports of those products;
    Workers in firms that supply testing, packaging, maintenance and transportation services
      to companies with TAA-certified workers, (unless these workers’ firms are downstream
      producers who are categorized as secondary workers under the 2002 Amendments); and
    Workers in firms identified in International Trade Commission “injury” determinations
      will no longer be certified “automatically”.

   Program Administration and Service Delivery
    Workers will not be entitled to employment and case management services under the
      TAA program, and TAA funds will not be designated for that purpose;
    States will no longer be able to apply Unemployment Insurance (UI) “good cause”
      waiver provisions to TAA deadlines;
    States must continue to apply merit staffing requirements under 20 CFR 618.890.

   Training
    The statutory cap on funds that may be allocated to the states for training will be reduced
      from $575 million per year to $220 million per year;
    TAA training will no longer be available before a worker’s separation from employment;
    Part-time training will not be allowable; and
    The deadline for enrolling in training in order to qualify for Training Readjustment
      Allowance (TRA) will be reduced from the later of 26 weeks from the worker’s most
      recent total qualifying separation or the certification date, back to the later of 16 weeks
      from the worker’s most recent qualifying separation or eight weeks from certification.
      States may grant an extension of the training deadline for up to 45 days for extenuating
      circumstances.

   Income Support
    Decreases the maximum award of additional TRA from 78 to 52 weeks for workers in
      training, and reduces the eligibility period for additional TRA from 91 weeks to 52
      weeks;
    Eliminates the statutory authority for the award of up to 26 weeks of remedial TRA to
      allow workers to enroll in prerequisite coursework to complete a training program; and
    Eliminates the ability of trade-affected workers to elect TRA over UI based upon a
      second UI claim resulting from part-time or short-term work with a lower Weekly
      Benefit Amount (WBA).
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   Wage Subsidy (ATAA/RTAA)
    Older workers will no longer be eligible for the new RTAA program, eligibility will
     revert to the ATAA program;
    Re-institutes the requirement for a separate group eligibility determination in order for
     older workers to be eligible for a wage subsidy under the ATAA program;
    Re-institutes the requirement under ATAA that a worker must find reemployment within
     26 weeks of layoff, and be employed on a full-time basis;
    Decreases the limit on wages in eligible reemployment to $50,000 a year; and
    Decreases the maximum wage subsidy from $12,000 to $10,000.

   Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC)
    Reduces the HCTC tax credit to 65 percent from 80 percent of the amount a worker paid
      for coverage under qualifying health insurance, beginning with the month of January
      2011 for all HCTC recipients covered by either the 2009 Amendments or 2002
      Amendments.

   Job Search and Relocation
    Reduces the percent of job search expenses that may be paid on behalf of a qualified
      participant to 90 percent of the total expenses, and a reduced cap of $1,250; and
    Reduces the percent of relocation expenses that may be paid on behalf of a qualified
      participant to 90 percent of the total expenses, plus a payment up to a reduced amount of
      $1,250.

7. Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department will issue separate guidance on aligning the
ETA collection forms in OMB 1205-0342 (TAA petition form), with the TAA program under
the 2002 amendments. The Department has submitted the necessary change requirements to
OMB in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

8. Action Requested. CSAs will be required to manage benefits and services provided to TAA
program participants as described above beginning January 4, 2011. States will be notified if the
sunset provisions of the TGAAA are extended to allow the 2009 Amendments to continue to
apply after 11:59 PM EST January 3, 2011.

9. Inquiries. State Administrators should direct all inquiries to the appropriate Employment
and Training Administration Regional Office.

10. Attachment. TAA Program Sunset Provisions Questions and Answers for Participants on
TAA Sunset Provisions.




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Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2010/TEGL16-10_attA.pdf

                                                             TAA Program Sunset Provisions:
                                                       Questions and Answers for Participants
                                                                           December 8, 2010

The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program helps workers who have lost their jobs as a
result of international trade get back to work. The TAA program offers a variety of benefits and
services to eligible workers, including job training, income support, job search and relocation
allowances, a tax credit to help pay the costs of health insurance, and a wage subsidy to workers
50 years of age and older.

The Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 (2009 Amendments), part of
the Recovery Act, enacted the largest expansion of the TAA program since its creation almost
four decades ago. The 2009 amendments expanded the Trade Act in several substantial ways, all
of which will expire on December 31, 2010. On January 1, 2011, assuming that Congress does
not extend the 2009 Amendments, the TAA program will revert (as qualified in the second
question and answer below) to the program in effect under the Trade Act of 1974 as amended by
the TAA Reform Act of 2002 (2002 Amendments), as if these amendments had never happened.

What happens to the TAA program?

As mentioned above, the expanded TAA Program included a sunset provision that requires TAA
to be administered as if the 2009 Amendments had never existed, starting January 1, 2011. The
exception is that the reduction in the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC), a tax credit for
individual health insurance costs, goes into effect beginning with the month of January, 2011,
and applies to all recipients, regardless of when their petition was filed.

December 31, 2010 is a Federal Holiday. Will I have additional time to file my petition and
still be eligible to receive benefits under the 2009 Amendments?

Yes. TAA regulations define “date of filing” as the “date on which petitions are received by” the
Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance. December 31, 2010 is a Federal Holiday and thus, mail
will not be received by OTAA that day, nor will technical support be available on that day or
January 1 and 2, 2011 as they are not business days. In order to be considered “filed before
January 1, 2011” and covered under the 2009 Amendments, a petition must be received by
OTAA by 11:59 PM on January 3, 2011. It is not sufficient for a petition to be postmarked
before that date. In addition, due to security procedures, mail delivered to the Department of
Labor is often delayed. Therefore, the Department strongly recommends that petitioners who
wish for their petitions to be considered under the 2009 Amendments file early and file online or
by fax to ensure receipt by OTAA by 11:59 PM EST on Monday, January 3, 2011.


What if I miss filing by the 11:59 PM EST January 3, 2011 deadline?

Petitions received on or after January 4, 2011, will be governed under the 2002 amendments, and
workers covered by these petitions will be eligible for TAA program benefits and services under
the 2002 Amendments.




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                                                               TAA Program Sunset Provisions:
                                                         Questions and Answers for Participants
                                                                             December 8, 2010

What if I file my petition before the deadline, but OTAA does not certify it until after the
deadline?

As long as a petition is filed on or before 11:59 PM EST on January 3, 2011, the fact that it is
certified after that date does not affect covered workers’ eligibility for benefits under the 2009
Amendments.

How can I tell what level of TAA benefits and services I am eligible for under the TAA
Program?

You can tell the level of program TAA benefits and services you are eligible for by looking at
the petition number, which is usually displayed in your paperwork as TA-W-XX,XXX. Using
your petition number as a guide, you will be able to determine which of the three distinct cohorts
(groups) listed below govern the TAA Program benefits and services for which you are eligible:

          i. Workers covered by petitions filed on or before May 17, 2009, identified by a
             petition number lower than 70,000 will be eligible for benefits and services under
             the 2002 Amendments.

         ii. Workers covered by petitions filed on or after May 18, 2009 and on or before 11:59
             PM EST on January 3, 2011, identified by petition numbers greater than 70,000 and
             less than 80,000 will be eligible for benefits and services under the 2009
             Amendments.

        iii. Workers covered by petitions filed on or after January 4, 2011, identified by a
             petition number greater than 80,000 will be eligible for benefits and services under
             the 2002 Amendments.

Cohorts (i) and (iii) have TA-W petition numbers that fall below 69,999 and above 80,000, and
are eligible to receive TAA benefits and services codified in the Trade Act as amended by the
2002 Amendments; however, petition numbers ranging from 70,000 to 79,999 are eligible to
benefits and services available under the Trade Act as amended by the 2009 Amendments.

I am a worker who is already part of a worker group certified as eligible to apply for TAA
under a petition with a TA-W number between 70,000 and 79,999. Will I continue to
receive benefits provided under the 2009 Amendments?

Yes. Workers covered by certification of petitions filed on and after May 18, 2009, and before
11:59 PM EST on January 3, 2011, will receive the benefits that were available under the 2009
Amendments. The exception is that the reduction in the amount of the HCTC that goes into
effect for the month of January, 2011, applies to all recipients (including workers covered by
certifications of petitions filed under the 2009 Amendments), regardless of when their petition
was filed.




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                                                        TAA Program Sunset Provisions:
                                                  Questions and Answers for Participants
                                                                      December 8, 2010
What are the major changes in benefits and services?

The chart below describes the benefits and services of the TAA program under the 2009
Amendments to the TAA program and the benefits and services under the 2002 Amendments.

         TA-W numbers that range between                                  TA-W numbers that fall below
                    70,000 and 79,999                                         69,999 and above 80,000
  Program Benefits and Services Available Under the             Program Benefits and Services Available Under the
                    2009 Amendments                                               2002 Amendments
Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA)                           Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA)
     Up to 130 weeks of cash payments for                       Up to 104 weeks of cash payments for workers
         workers enrolled in full-time training                     enrolled in full-time training
     Up to 156 weeks of cash payments if the                    Up to 130 weeks of cash payments if the worker
         worker is also enrolled in remedial or                     is also enrolled in remedial training
         prerequisite training
Training Enrollment Deadlines                                 Training Enrollment Deadlines
     Workers must be enrolled in training 26 weeks              Workers must be enrolled in training eight weeks
         after certification or layoff, whichever is later,          after certification or 16 weeks after layoff,
         in order to receive TRA                                     whichever is later, in order to receive TRA
     States have wide latitude in applying good                 States may extend the training enrollment
         cause provisions to missed deadlines                        deadline by 45 days in the event of extenuating
                                                                     circumstances
Training Services                                             Training Services
     Training may be approved on a full-time or                 Training may only be approved on a full-time
         part-time basis, although full-time training is             basis
         required for TRA eligibility                            Certified workers may not begin approved
     Certified workers may begin approved training                  training until they have been totally or partially
         when threatened with separation, or when they               separated from adversely affected employment
         are totally or partially separated, from
         adversely affected employment
Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance                      Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance
     Available to workers 50 years of age or older              Available to workers 50 years of age or older
     Does not require a separate certification of               Requires a separate certification of group
         group eligibility                                          eligibility
     Workers may participate in TAA- approved                   Workers may not participate in TAA-approved
         training                                                   training
     Requires full-time employment, unless the                  Requires full-time employment within 26 weeks
         worker is also enrolled in TAA-approved                    of separation
         training and employed at least 20 hours per             Available only for workers earning less than
         week, and does not set a deadline for                      $50,000 per year in reemployment
         reemployment                                            Maximum benefit of $10,000 over a period of up
     Available only for workers earning less than                  to two years
         $55,000 per year in reemployment
     Maximum benefit of $12,000 over a period of
         up to two years
Job Search Allowances                                         Job Search Allowances
     100% of allowable costs, up to $1,500                        90% of allowable costs, up to $1,250
Relocation Allowances                                         Relocation Allowances
     100% of costs, up to the statutory limit for               90% of costs, up to the statutory limit for Federal
         Federal Employees                                          Employees
     Provides an additional lump sum payment of                 Provides an additional lump sum payment of up
         up to $1,500                                               to $1,250




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                                                              TAA Program Sunset Provisions:
                                                        Questions and Answers for Participants
                                                                            December 8, 2010

How will I know if my petition was filed in time to be covered under the 2009
Amendments?

A petition is filed in time to be considered for benefits and services under the 2009 Amendments
if it is received:

    Via mail at the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance at Employment and Training
     Administration (ETA), United States Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW,
     Room N-5428, Washington, DC 20210 before 5:00 PM EST January 3, 2011;

    Via fax to 202-693-3585 on or before 11:59 PM EST January 3, 2011. The Department
     strongly suggests that petitioners retain the fax cover sheet with the date and time stamp.

    Via online petition processing located on the OTAA’s website, www.doleta.gov/tradeact ,
     and a confirmation email generated by the system that indicates the petition was received by
     the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance by 11:59 PM EST January 3, 2011.

The date and time in the Eastern Standard Time (EST) time zone controls whether a petition is
timely. Workers should file petitions simultaneously with the State. A listing of State
Coordinator addresses can be found at: http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/contacts.cfm.

How do I get more information?

Information about the changes to the TAA Program can be found below.

United States Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance
Room N-5428
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20210
Phone: 202-693-3560 or 1-888-DOL-OTAA
(1-888-365-6822)
Fax: 202-693-3584 or 202-693-3585
Website: http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact




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