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WIA waiver policy clarifications and decisions

Summary ETA updated Workforce Investment Act waiver policy from TEGL 26-09, addressed Work-Flex quarterly reporting and announced renewed OMB approval for plan submissions and quarterly reports, and attached waiver decisions and a waiver request template. ETA now labels the advisory Canceled.
Document
Federal guidance
Agency
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Document number
TEGL No. 26-09, Change 1
Date issued
August 16, 2012
Status
Withdrawn
ETA lists this advisory Canceled; its PDF prints Expiration Date: Continuing and Rescissions: None. It supplements TEGL 26-09.
Status last verified October 24, 2026

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This document has been withdrawn
ETA lists this advisory Canceled; its PDF prints Expiration Date: Continuing and Rescissions: None. It supplements TEGL 26-09. It no longer reflects the agency's current position. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance, and verify current law before relying on anything here.
About this page: The full text below is the official document from U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_26-09_Chg1_Acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION              Waivers
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                         CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                     OWI
             Washington, D.C. 20210                    DATE
                                                       August 16, 2012

ADVISORY:         TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER
                  NO. 26-09, Change 1

TO:               STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                  STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
                  STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
                  STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND
                  DIRECTORS
                  STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS

FROM:             JANE OATES /s/
                  Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:         Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Waiver Policy and Waiver Decisions for
                 PY 2009 and 2010, Change 1


1. Purpose. This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) has two purposes:
   a. To provide updates and clarifications on waiver policies including those originally
      articulated in TEGL 26-09; and
   b. To provide information on work-flex quarterly reports, and to announce renewal of
      Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for work-flex plan submission and
      quarterly reports.

2. References.
   • The Workforce Investment Act of 1998; WIA Sections 189(i)(4) and 192;
   • WIA Regulations at 20 CFR 661.420-430 and 663.600;
   • TEGL No. 21-11, “Requirements for 2012 State Workforce Plans”;
   • TEGL No. 17-09, “Quarterly Submission of Workforce Investment Act Standardized
      Record Data (WIASRD)”:Training and Employment Notice (TEN) No. 33-11,
      “Partnering with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Jurisdictions, State
      Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Offices, and local CSBG Entities to Create or
      Expand Summer Youth Employment Opportunities”;
   • TEGL No. 12-10, “Supporting Entrepreneurial and Self-Employment Training through
      the Workforce Investment Act”;

 RESCISSIONS                                          EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                 Continuing

                                                -2-

   •   State Integrated Workforce Plan Requirements for Workforce Investment Act Title
       I/Wagner-Peyser Act and Department of Labor Workforce Programs (OMB No. 1205-
       0398);
   •   Planning Guidance for State Unified Plans and Unified Plan Modifications Submitted
       under Section 501 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (OMB No. 1205-0398));
   •   TEGL No. 09-11, “Revised Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 “Advance” Funding Levels Available
       October 2011 for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Programs and Clarification on the
       Level of Governor’s Reserve”;
   •   TEGL No. 29-11, “Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Program Year (PY) 2011 Annual
       Report Narrative”;
   •   TEN No. 17-11, “Workforce Investment Act/Wagner-Peyser Act (WIA/W-P) Waiver
       Database”; and
   •   ETA Workforce Investment Act Waiver Database, Accessed June 13, 2012,
       www.waivers.doleta.gov.

3. Waiver Clarifications and Decisions Since Program Year 2009. The section below
   provides clarification on waiver policy decisions that have evolved since PY 2009 and
   information about waivers that are new to the public workforce system. Attachment A
   summarizes waiver decisions for PY 2011. States may also request waivers that are not
   listed in Attachment A.

   A. New Waiver Decisions

   i. Waivers of Required Statewide Activities
      TEGL No. 09-11 clarified that Congress decreased the level of PY 2011 base funds and
      FY 2012 advance funds that governors may reserve for statewide activities by 10
      percentage points, from 15 percent to 5 percent. The governor’s reserve will remain at
      five percent for PY 2012. ETA realizes that some states may be unable to fund all
      required activities due to a lack of funding. As a temporary measure and in order to help
      states prioritize the activities that are more essential to the functioning of their workforce
      systems, states may request waivers to exempt them from the requirements to carry out
      some of the required statewide activities described at 20 CFR 665.200(b)-(i) that would
      have been financed with PY 2011or PY 2012 funds.

       ETA will review and consider waiver requests on a case-by-case basis and in the context
       of each state’s unique circumstances. These requests must also include a justification that
       describes estimated costs to carry out the required activity for which the waiver is
       needed, how statewide funds are being used (for both required and allowable statewide
       activities), how funds are being prioritized across activities, and the extent to which the
       funding levels are insufficient to cover the activity for which a waiver is requested. The
       request must also address the anticipated impact of not funding the activity, and whether
       it may directly affect WIA participant services. ETA encourages states to explore less
       expensive methods for conducting statewide activities where possible, such as posting
       training provider information on the Internet.

                                            -3-

   ETA is unlikely to approve a waiver of the following activities that are central to state
   management of funds. These include:

        • operating fiscal and management accountability information systems (WIA
          Section 134(a)(2)(B)(vi) and 20 CRF 665.200(b)(1),
        • submitting required reports (WIA Section 136(f)),
        • disseminating the list of eligible training providers for adults and dislocated
          workers (WIA Section 134(a)(2)(B)(i) and 20 CFR 665.200(b)(1), and youth
          activities (20 CFR 665.200(b)(4)), and
        • providing technical assistance to poor performing local areas (WIA Section
          134(a)(2)(B)(iv) and 20 CFR 665.200(f)).

ii. Reallocation of recaptured funds
    In PY 2010, ETA approved a waiver of the reallocation provisions at WIA Sections
    128(c)(3) and 133(c)(3), and 20 CFR 667.160(c) to permit a state to reallocate recaptured
    funds according to state-developed criteria. Under the waiver, a state has the discretion
    to consider additional factors in determining local area eligibility for a reallocation of
    recaptured funds. States must make public their reallocation procedure and policy, as
    well as any future changes to that policy.

   ETA will approve this waiver on a case-by-case basis. A state requesting this waiver
   must provide justification that the state cannot fulfill the statutory requirement to
   reallocate recaptured funds based on the prescribed WIA formula without undue burden.
   States must propose an alternative policy for reallocation that is based on objective
   criteria, and demonstrate that the alternative policy was created in a transparent manner
   with adequate opportunity for comments from local boards, stakeholders, and the general
   public. States should describe in their request the actions that have been taken to ensure
   local areas promptly obligate and expend funds within required timeframes, and reduce
   as much as possible the amount of local area funds subject to recapture.

   This waiver only applies to reallocation provisions, and not to the recapture provisions at
   WIA Sections 128(c)(2) and 133(c)(2), and 20 CFR 667.160. A waiver request of the
   reallocation provisions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

iii. Excluding entrepreneurship trainees from local performance measure
     ETA does not negotiate with nor hold accountable individual local areas, and has
     concluded that a waiver to exclude entrepreneurship trainees from local performance
     measures is not necessary. States are responsible for negotiating performance levels with
     their local areas, and must ensure that the state’s targets can be achieved. A state may
     also wish to consider renegotiating performance goals with the ETA regional office.

   If a state chooses to allow a local area to exclude a certain group of participants from
   their local performance, outcomes for all individuals must still be reported through the
   WIASRD system. Such information is essential for effective program management and
   performance accountability. Note that the State has the authority to report additional
   alternative performance measures that may reflect the outcomes of entrepreneurial

                                           -4-

   trainees, and is encouraged to do so if it believes such a change would incentivize greater
   participation in such programs.

B. Waiver Policy Clarifications

i. Waivers related to use of funds for on-the-job training (OJT) and customized training
   The waiver of WIA Section 101(31)(B) allows flexibility regarding the 50 percent limit
   on reimbursement to employers for OJT to permit local areas to use a sliding scale to
   increase the reimbursement rate based on the size of the business. The waiver of WIA
   Section 101(8)(C) provides flexibility regarding the requirement for a 50 percent
   employer contribution rate for customized training to permit local areas to use a sliding
   scale to reduce the contribution based on the size of the business. States may use Adult
   and Dislocated Worker funds under these two waivers to serve WIA eligible participants
   for the respective funding stream being used. States should appropriately apply WIA
   low-income priority of service requirements when funds are limited (20 CFR 663.600).

ii. Waiver permitting use of the common performance measures
    This waiver permits states to negotiate and report WIA outcomes against the common
    performance measures only, rather than the performance measures described at WIA
    Section 136(b). WIASRD item 619, Type of Recognized Credential, should be
    completed for each individual as appropriate, regardless of this waiver to report on
    common performance measure outcomes only. States approved to use this waiver should
    still administer customer satisfaction surveys, although there is no requirement to report
    those results to ETA. States must also continue to report older and younger youth
    participant and exiter counts on a quarterly basis in WIASRD (ETA 9090). Generally,
    ETA does not intend to approve a common measures waiver request for a program year
    when a state submits their request after December 31 of that program year. Such requests
    will be considered for the following program year.

iii. Waivers to promote subsidized employment opportunities for low-income youth
     As referenced in TEN No. 33-11, ETA encourages state and local areas to develop and
     strengthen partnerships with state and local human services agencies and Community
     Action Agencies (as defined under the Community Services Block Grant of 1981 as
     amended) to further support both systems’ shared youth populations. In an effort to
     support increased subsidized employment opportunities for low-income youth, ETA is
     willing to consider state requests for two types of waivers where Temporary Assistance
     to Needy Families (TANF) and WIA Youth Program co-enrollment occurs for summer
     youth employment activities and/or where WIA Youth participate in summer
     employment activities funded by Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds. The
     following waivers would be effective from May 1through September 30, if approved:

      1) Flexibility to use the work readiness indicator as the only performance measure for
         such co-enrolled youth; and
      2) Ability to apply the program design flexibility for summer youth articulated in
         TEGL No. 14-08 Section 16.A for such co-enrolled youth, specifically to provide
         follow-up services as deemed appropriate for such youth participants and to provide

                                             -5-

         an assessment and Individual Service Strategy as deemed appropriate for such
         youth.

   These waivers apply to WIA-enrolled youth who participate in summer employment only
   or summer employment and supportive services only. If WIA Youth participate in
   program elements other than summer employment and supportive services, they would
   not be eligible to be a part of these waivers. ETA recognizes the importance of summer
   employment only for low income youth at a time of extremely high youth unemployment.
   This flexibility will allow for more appropriate performance measurement of this short-
   term intervention for such co-enrolled youth.

   The use of TANF and CSBG funds must be consistent with the TANF and CSBG statute
   and regulations, as well as state rules and regulations. WIA waiver authority does not
   apply to TANF or CSBG funds. Requests should include the following information, in
   addition to requirements discussed in Section 4:

        • An estimate of the number of youth who will be co-enrolled in the WIA Youth
          program and in TANF summer youth employment activities during Summer 2012
          (May 1 to September 30) and/or an estimate of the number of WIA Youth who
          will participate in summer employment activities funded by CSBG funds;
        • An estimate of the percent of Summer 2012 WIA Youth program enrollees who
          will be co-enrolled TANF summer youth employment participants only, and not
          participate in the WIA Youth program beyond summer and/or the percent of WIA
          Youth program enrollees who will participate in summer employment activities
          funded by CSBG funds;
        • A description of how the state plans to use WIA Youth funds to support
          WIA/TANF co-enrolled summer youth participants and/or summer youth
          participants funded by CSBG funds; and
        • A description of continued service plans for WIA/TANF co-enrolled participants
          and/or summer youth participants funded by CSBG funds served under the
          waiver, such as transition to the WIA Adult program or further education and
          training under WIA funded youth services.

iv. State Board as Local Board Waiver
    The WIA regulations at 20 CFR 661.300(f) allow the State Board to carry out the roles of
    a Local Board. This regulation normally applies to the states that were single service
    delivery areas under the Job Training Partnership Act, and were designated as single local
    areas at the onset of WIA. This waiver does not, on its own, alter or eliminate a state’s
    local areas. Furthermore, this waiver does not create a single state planning area;
    however, certain aspects of it have the practical effect of allowing the state to operate
    similar to a single state area, in cases where the state is acting for all local boards in the
    state. If approved, states must continue to allocate funds to local areas.

                                                -6-

       The following elements must be included in requests for this waiver, in addition to
       requirements discussed in Section 4:

            •   Description of the compelling reasons for the proposed governance structure and
                why a local Workforce Investment Board cannot or should not perform its
                functions;
            •   Discussion of how the state will ensure that local interests of the following
                stakeholders continue to be represented and engaged if the waiver is granted and
                the steps the state will take to ensure fair and equitable treatment of these
                stakeholders: geographic diversity across local areas (e.g. urban vs. rural), local
                businesses, including small business, vulnerable populations, local community
                based organizations, education and training providers, organized labor, and one-
                stop partners;
            •   Discussion of how resources will be distributed in a fair and equitable way;
            •   An explanation of the procurement policy for One-Stops;
            •   Inclusion of the state policy for ensuring that the functions of the local board are
                met by the state board, for instance, the establishment of Youth Councils;
            •   Documentation of the governor’s consultation with the state board and local
                chief elected officials and other stakeholders, and consideration of any comments
                received through the public comment process;
            •   Discussion of how the state intends to monitor the state board acting in the
                capacity of the local board; and
            •   Discussion of all transition costs associated with the state assuming the functions
                of the local board or boards.

   v. Waivers for National Emergency Grants (NEGs)
      Grantees that wish to utilize waivers approved for their State’s Adult and/or Dislocated
      Worker formula program for NEG projects must submit a request to apply the waiver to
      the NEG, either in the initial application, or in a subsequent grant modification. These
      waivers are not automatically applied.

4. Waiver Requests. States wishing to request waivers must submit full waiver plans to ETA.
   The waiver plan must include all of the required elements listed in the WIA regulations at 20
   CFR 661.420(c) and discussed in TEGL 26-09, Section 9, Waiver and Work-Flex Request
   Elements and Process. States may use the submission template available at
   http://www.doleta.gov/waivers/pdf/waiver-template.doc (Attachment B) which provides a
   description of each element and submittal instructions. States wishing to include waiver
   requests in their PY 2012 State Plan should reference ETA’s published guidance in TEGL
   No. 21-11.

   While ETA intends, in general, to approve waivers in alignment with the decisions provided
   in Attachment A, ETA will consider all requests. The unique circumstances in a particular
   state may result in the approval of a waiver request that ETA has disapproved in another
   state.

                                               -7-

5. Waiver Portal. To improve transparency regarding waiver options, and provide the public
   workforce system and other stakeholders with information about the waiver request process
   and waiver decisions, ETA recently enhanced information available on its waiver Web site
   and developed new tools. The “waiver portal” provides menu-driven access to a variety of
   waiver resources. The portal provides a summary of the waiver request process and the
   applicable statute, regulations, and TEGLs, as well as other tools and information. The
   waiver portal includes access to a WIA/W-P waiver database which features a number of
   interactive menu and tools, and provides information on waivers requested since PY 2009.
   Users of the database can review their own and other state waiver requests, the current status
   of waiver decisions, and ETA waiver response letters. Users may also search waivers by
   category and type, and can easily generate and customize reports to meet their particular
   review or research requirements. The database is available at www.waivers.doleta.gov.

6. Work-Flex Quarterly Reports. WIA Section 192 permits states to request Work-Flex
   designation. Under this authority, a state may grant waivers of WIA provisions applicable to
   local areas in accordance with 20 CFR 661.430(a). Work-Flex WIA regulations at 20 CFR
   661.440(b) require a state to demonstrate that it has met agreed-upon outcomes contained in
   its Work-Flex plan. This can be demonstrated by describing how waivers and Work-Flex are
   used in the WIA Annual Report, as described in TEGL No. 29-11. Additionally, in order to
   fulfill a state’s responsibility to demonstrate that it is meeting agreed-upon outcomes, states
   that have an approved Work-Flex plan in place should submit quarterly reports to the ETA
   containing the following information:

       •   Waiver
       •   Date received
       •   Date granted
       •   Local Area(s) requesting waiver
       •   Purpose (brief statement)
       •   Regulation/statute affected
       •   State-imposed conditions of waiver use, as appropriate.

   States that have an approved Work-Flex plan in place should submit the quarterly report to
   [email protected] with a copy to the appropriate Regional Administrator within 30 days
   of the end of the quarter, e.g. by April 30 for the quarter ending March 31.

7. OMB Approval of Work-Flex Plans and Quarterly Reports. The requirements for
   submitting a Work-Flex plan (described in TEGL No. 26-09 Section 9.B.) and the
   requirements for submitting quarterly reports (described in Section 6 of this TEGL) are
   approved by OMB (OMB approval number 1205-0432), pursuant to the Paperwork
   Reduction Act of 1995, expiration date October 31, 2014, and were published in the Federal
   Register on October 31, 2011. The requirements for submitting a waiver plan were approved
   by OMB (OMB approval number 1205-0398) as part of the OMB approval for State
   Workforce Plan Requirements and expire February 28, 2015.

8. Inquiries. States should address their inquiries to their ETA Regional Office.

                                          -8-

9. Attachments.

   •   Attachment A: Waiver Decisions: PY 2009 – PY 2011
   •   Attachment B: General Workforce Investment Act Waiver Request Template

Attachment 1: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_26-09_Chg1_Att1.pdf

Attachment A
                                    Waiver Decisions

                                                                 Policy Decisions, Program
    Waiver Name                Waiver Description
                                                                  Year (PY) 2009 – 2011
                                     Funds Flexibility
                       Waiver of WIA Section 133(b)(4) to
                                                                ETA approved this waiver.
Adult-Dislocated       increase the funds transfer limit
                                                                The transfer authority may be
Worker Transfer        between the Adult and Dislocated
                                                                increased to 50 percent.
                       Worker programs.
                       Waiver of WIA Section 101(8)(C) of
                       the requirement for a 50 percent
Customized Training-   employer contribution for customized
Employer               training to permit local areas to use a ETA approved this waiver.
Contribution           sliding scale to reduce the
                       contribution based on the size of the
                       business.
                       Waiver of WIA Section 101(31)(B)
                       of the 50 percent limit on
On-the-Job (OJT)
                       reimbursement to employers for OJT
Training- Employer                                              ETA approved this waiver.
                       to permit local areas to use a sliding
Reimbursement
                       scale to increase the reimbursement
                       based on the size of the business.
                                                                ETA approved this waiver
                                                                with the following parameters:
                                                                 Local Adult and Dislocated
                                                                  Worker funds may only be
                                                                  used for IWT as part of
                                                                  layoff aversion and are
                                                                  limited to:
                                                                   o 20 percent of local
                       Waiver of WIA Section 134(a) to                 Dislocated Worker
Local Funds for                                                        funds for IWT OR
                       permit local areas to use a portion of
Incumbent Worker
                       local Adult, Dislocated Worker, and         o 10 percent of Dislocated
Training (IWT) as a
                       Youth funds for statewide activities,           Worker funds and 10
Statewide Activity
                       specifically IWT.                               percent of Adult funds
                                                                       for IWT OR
                                                                   o 10 percent of Adult
                                                                       funds for IWT
                                                                 Youth funds may not be
                                                                  used for IWT.
                                                                 Local funds may not be used
                                                                  for any other statewide
                                                                  activities.

                                           -2-

                                                                Policy Decisions, Program
    Waiver Name                Waiver Description
                                                                  Year (PY) 2009 – 2011
                                                               ETA approved this waiver
                                                               with the following parameters.
                                                                Waiver granted to use up to
                                                                 20% of rapid response funds
                                                                 for IWT as part of lay-off
Rapid Response                                                   aversion only.
Funds for Incumbent    Waiver of WIA Section 134(a)(1)(A)       ETA will still consider
Worker Training and    to permit states to use a portion of      waiver requests to use rapid
Other Statewide        rapid response funds for IWT and          response funds for other
Activities             other statewide activities.               statewide activities for the
                                                                 purpose of innovative
                                                                 training and service delivery
                                                                 approaches that enhance
                                                                 services to dislocated
                                                                 workers.
                       Waiver of WIA Sections 128(c)(2)
                       and 133(c)(2), and 20 CFR 667.160
                       to permit states to recapture local
                       funds midway through the year,
Recapture and          recapture of unexpended funds           ETA did not approve this
Reallocation           instead of unobligated funds, and       waiver for any state.
                       reallocation based on local area
                       expenditure rates. If requested, the
                       waiver allowed for reallocation based
                       on a variety of factors.
                       Waiver of the reallocation provisions
                       at WIA Section 128(c)(3) and            ETA approved this waiver for
Reallocation           133(c)(3) and 20 CFR 667.160 to         one state.
                       state to reallocate recaptured funds
                       according to state-developed criteria
                                      Performance
                       Waiver of WIA Section
                       136(b)(2)(A)(i)(II) and 20 CFR
Alternative Seasonal   666.140 to permit an alternate          ETA has approved this waiver
Performance Measure    measure of employment retention for     on a case by case basis.
                       areas of the state where the majority
                       of employment is seasonal.
                       Waiver of WIA Section 136(b) to
                       permit implementation of, and
Common Measures        reporting only for, the common          ETA approved this waiver.
                       measures in lieu of the current WIA
                       statutory measures.

                                            -3-

                                                                 Policy Decisions, Program
    Waiver Name                 Waiver Description
                                                                  Year (PY) 2009 – 2011
                        Waiver of WIA Section
Incentive Grants to     134(a)(2)(B)(iii) and 20 CFR            ETA has approved this waiver
Local Areas             665.200(e) to exempt the state from     on a case by case basis.
                        providing local incentive grants.
                                                                ETA has considered this
                        Waiver of WIA Section 136(c) and
Reports as a                                                    waiver on a case by case basis,
                        136(d) to permit the state to report
Statewide Region                                                but did not grant this waiver
                        only statewide data.
                                                                for any state.
                        Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR 666
WIASRD Elements
                        and 667.300(a) to allow states to
for Incumbent                                                   ETA approved this waiver.
                        discontinue collection of 7 WIASRD
Worker Training
                        data elements for incumbent workers.
Local Performance       Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
Exemption for           666.300 to exclude entrepreneurship
                                                                Waiver not needed.
Entrepreneurship        training from local performance
Training                measures.
                        Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
                        666.100 to exempt state from
                        including credential attainment
OJT Credential          outcomes for participants enrolled in
                                                                ETA approved this waiver.
Performance             OJT in the credential performance
                        measure calculations. All
                        participants served and outcomes
                        should be reported in the WIASRD.
                       Waiver of WIA Section 136(h) and
                       20 CFR 666.420 to permit sanctions
Performance
                       for poor performance to be applied to
Sanctions Applied to a                                          ETA approved this waiver.
                       a consortium of multiple local areas,
Consortium
                       rather than to the individual local
                       areas.
                        Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
Performance             666.300 and 666.310 to permit a
Negotiations as a       consortium of multiple local areas to   ETA approved this waiver.
Consortium              negotiate performance goals with the
                        State as one entity.
                                           Youth
                        Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
Youth Individual
                        664.510 of the prohibition on the use   ETA approved this waiver.
Training Accounts
                        of ITAs for youth.

                                              -4-

                                                                      Policy Decisions, Program
    Waiver Name                   Waiver Description
                                                                        Year (PY) 2009 – 2011
                                                                    ETA approved this waiver
                                                                    with the following parameters:
                                                                    ETA will allow One-Stop
                                                                    Operators or partner agencies
Competitive              Waiver of WIA Section 123 of the
                                                                    to directly provide the
Procurement for          requirement for competitive
                                                                    following three elements:
Youth Program            procurement of service providers for
                                                                    supportive services, follow-up,
Elements                 some or all youth program elements.
                                                                    and work experience. ETA did
                                                                    not grant this waiver for other
                                                                    elements except in very limited
                                                                    circumstances in PY 2009.
                         Waiver of WIA Section 129(c)(4)(A)
                                                                    ETA has considered this
                         to allow certain alternative school
Alternative School for                                              waiver on a case by case basis,
                         enrollees to count toward the 30%
Out-of-School Youth                                                 but did not approve for any
                         out-of-school youth expenditure
                                                                    state.
                         requirement.
                         Waiver of WIA Section 129(c)(2) to
Youth Program            allow local areas to choose which of       ETA did not grant this waiver
Elements                 the 10 youth program elements to           for any state.
                         make available to youth participants.
                         Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
                         664.450(b) of the requirement that all
Youth Follow-up                                                     ETA did not grant this waiver
                         youth participants receive follow-up
Services                                                            for any state.
                         services for a minimum duration of
                         12 months.
                         Waiver of WIA Section 101(13) to           ETA will not consider this
Youth Eligibility        grant eligibility to children of parents   waiver because it lies outside
                         who are WIA Adult participants.            the waiver authority.
Work Readiness           Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
Indicator Only for       664.460 to use the work readiness
Youth Co-enrolled in     indicator as the only performance
WIA Title 1 and          measure for youth co-enrolled in           ETA has approved this waiver
TANF or CSBG for         WIA and other programs for summer          on a case-by-case basis.
Summer Youth             youth employment activities.
Employment
Activities

                                             -5-

                                                                   Policy Decisions, Program
    Waiver Name                 Waiver Description
                                                                    Year (PY) 2009 – 2011
                        Waiver of WIA Section 129, 20 CFR
Waiver to Apply         664.405(a), and 664.450(b) to apply
Program Design          the program design flexibility for
Flexibility for Youth   youth co-enrolled in WIA and other
Co-enrolled in WIA      programs for summer youth                 ETA has approved this waiver
Title 1 and TANF or     employment activities, specifically to    on a case-by-case basis.
CSBG for Summer         provide follow-up services and/or an
Youth Employment        assessment and Individual Service
Activities              Strategy as deemed appropriate for
                        such youth.
                                        Governance
                        Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
State Board Acting as   661.300(f) to allow the State Board to ETA has approved this waiver
Local Board             carry out the roles and                on a case-by-case basis.
                        responsibilities of the Local Board.
State WIB               Waiver of WIA Section 111(b) to
                                                                  ETA has approved this waiver
Membership              streamline the membership of the
                                                                  on a case-by-case basis.
Requirements            State Workforce Board.
                                             Other
                        Waiver of requirement at WIA
                        Section 134(a)(2)(B)(ii) and 20 CFR
Exemption from the      665.200(d)) to conduct evaluations of
requirement to          workforce investment activities for
                                                                  ETA has approved this waiver
conduct evaluations     adults, dislocated workers, and youth
                                                                  on a case-by-case basis.
                        in order to establish and promote
                        continuous improvement of the
                        statewide workforce investment
                        system.
Exemption from the
requirement to          Waiver of the requirement at 20 CFR
disseminate training    665.200(b)(3) to disseminate training
                                                                   ETA has approved this waiver
provider performance    provider performance and cost
                                                                  on a case-by-case basis.
and cost information    information that states are required to
                        collect and maintain.

                                             -6-

                                                                   Policy Decisions, Program
    Waiver Name                  Waiver Description
                                                                    Year (PY) 2009 – 2011

Exemption of the         Waiver of WIA Section 129(b)(2)(C)
requirement to           and 20 CFR 665.200(h) to exempt the
provide additional       state from the requirement to provide ETA approved this waiver on a
funding to areas with    additional assistance to local areas  case by case basis.
a high concentration     that have a high concentration of
of WIA-eligible youth    eligible youth.

                         Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
Eligible Training
                         663.530 of the time limit on the
Provider (ETP) Initial                                              ETA approved this waiver.
                         period of initial eligibility for training
Eligibility
                         providers.
                                                                 ETA will not consider this
ETP for Providers        Waiver of the ETP process for
                                                                 waiver because it lies outside
Adding Programs          eligible providers adding programs.
                                                                 the waiver authority.
                                                                 ETA has considered this
                         Waiver of WIA Section 195(10) and
Public Service                                                   waiver on a case by case basis,
                         20 CFR 667.264(a)(2) of the
Employment                                                       but did not grant this waiver
                         prohibition on the use of funds for
                                                                 for any state in PY 2009-PY
                         public service employment.
                                                                 2011.
                                                                 The FY 2011 and FY 2012
                                                                 Department of Labor
                                                                 Appropriations Acts allow
                                                                 local areas to contract with
Contracting for          Waiver of WIA Section 134(d)(4)(G)
                                                                 providers for class-size
Training Outside of      to allow local areas to contract for
                                                                 training in high-demand
ITA’s                    training outside the ITA process.
                                                                 occupations, if it does not limit
                                                                 customer choice. A waiver is
                                                                 not necessary for FY 2011 and
                                                                 2012 WIA funds.
                         Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
                         662.240(b)(10) to allow WIA and W-      ETA approved this waiver on a
One-Stop Intake
                         P funded staff to perform intake for    case-by-case basis.
                         other programs.
                         Waiver at WIA Section 192 to
                                                                 ETA will consider work-flex
                         provide state authority to waive
Work-Flex                                                        requests on a case-by-case
                         certain elements of WIA for local
                                                                 basis.
                         areas, based on submitted plan.

                                          -7-

                                                                Policy Decisions, Program
    Waiver Name               Waiver Description
                                                                  Year (PY) 2009 – 2011
                                                              ETA did not grant this waiver
                      Waiver of WIA Section 181(e) to
                                                              for any state for formula funds,
                      permit the use of a limited amount of
                                                              but approved one state for this
Business              WIA funds to capitalize a small
                                                              waiver for a National
Capitalization        business in concert with
                                                              Emergency Grant for a
                      entrepreneurial or small business
                                                              disaster-related event on a case
                      training.
                                                              by case basis.
                      Waiver of regulations at 20 CFR
                      663.820 of the requirement that
Needs Related                                                 ETA will not consider this
                      dislocated workers must be enrolled
Payments for                                                  waiver because it lies outside
                      in training by end of 13th week after
Dislocated Workers                                            the waiver authority.
                      lay-off to receive needs-related
                      payments.
                      Waiver to streamline sequence of        Waiver not needed; refer to
Sequence of Service
                      service.                                TEGL 14-08, Section 13.

Attachment 2: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_26-09_Chg1_Att2.pdf

Attachment B

                        General Workforce Investment Act Waiver Request Template

       The Workforce Investment Act Section 189(i)(4)(B) identifies elements that must be included in
       a waiver request. These elements and the request process are also discussed in Training and
       Employment Guidance Letter number 26-09. In keeping with those requirements, ETA has
       developed this template that states may use when requesting a waiver. States may also request a
       waiver using their own format or form, as long as elements required by WIA are addressed in the
       request. After reviewing a state’s initial request, ETA may request additional information if
       necessary to complete its review. ETA will render a decision within 90-days of the receipt of the
       waiver request.

       To submit a waiver request, e-mail this completed template (or state-developed form) along with
       a cover letter to [email protected] and the appropriate ETA regional office. ETA will also
       accept hard copy submissions with an original signature sent to the Federal Coordinator for Plan
       Review and Approval and to the appropriate ETA Regional Administrator. The address for the
       Federal Coordinator is as follows:

       Office of Workforce Investment
       Division of WIA Adult Services and Workforce Systems
       Employment and Training Administration
       U.S. Department of Labor
       200 Constitution Ave., NW, Room S-4209
       Washington, DC 20210
       ATTN: Federal Coordinator for Plan Review and Approval

       Date:

       State:

       Agency:

       Provide narrative for the following elements:


       Statutory and/or regulatory requirements to be waived

       Indicate which part of the WIA or the regulations the state would like to waive.


       Actions undertaken to remove state or local barriers

       Describe the actions undertaken to remove state or local barriers.


United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
WIA/W-P Waiver Request Form
Last updated 8-15-2011
OMB Number 1205-0398

                                                          -2-

      Goals and expected programmatic outcomes of waiver

      Describe and specify how the waiver will help the state achieve an identified strategic goal or set of goals
      that it has outlined in its State Plan. If possible and appropriate to the type of waiver requested, provide
      quantifiable projections for programmatic outcomes that will result from the waiver.


      Individuals impacted by the waiver

      Describe which populations the waiver will benefit, or that the waiver will otherwise affect.
      Beneficiaries may include workforce systems and processes.


      Process for monitoring progress in implementation

      Describe processes the state has established or will establish to support waiver implementation; identify
      steps for implementing the waiver; discuss plans to monitor implementation including programmatic
      review, financial oversight, and accountability.


      Notice to affected local boards

      Address how local boards affected by the waiver were notified of the request.


      Public Comment

      Provide a description of the proactive solicitation of public comments. At a minimum, post the proposed
      waiver request to the state’s official website or in the newspaper for comment. Ideally, develop a
      targeted outreach strategy to collect input and comment from all affected stakeholders. Submit any
      comments or concerns collected in this manner and the outcome of the state’s review of the public
      comments received.


United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
WIA/W-P Waiver Request Form
Last updated 8-15-2011
OMB Number 1205-0398

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