§ 4102A. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training; program functions; Regional Administrators
(a)
Establishment of Position of Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training.—
(1)
There is established within the Department of Labor an Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training, appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, who shall formulate and implement all departmental policies and procedures to carry out
(2)
The employees of the Department of Labor administering chapter
43 of this title shall be administratively and functionally responsible to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training.
(3)
(A)
There shall be within the Department of Labor a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training. The Deputy Assistant Secretary shall perform such functions as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training prescribes.
(B)
No individual may be appointed as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training unless the individual has at least five years of service in a management position as an employee of the Federal civil service or comparable service in a management position in the Armed Forces. For purposes of determining such service of an individual, there shall be excluded any service described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section
308
(d)(2) of this title.
(b)
Program Functions.—
The Secretary shall carry out the following functions:
(1)
Except as expressly provided otherwise, carry out all provisions of this chapter and chapter
43 of this title through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training and administer through such Assistant Secretary all programs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary for the provision of employment and training services designed to meet the needs of all veterans and persons eligible for services furnished under this chapter.
(2)
In order to make maximum use of available resources in meeting such needs, encourage all such programs, and all grantees and contractors under such programs to enter into cooperative arrangements with private industry and business concerns (including small business concerns owned by veterans or disabled veterans), educational institutions, trade associations, and labor unions.
(3)
Ensure that maximum effectiveness and efficiency are achieved in providing services and assistance to eligible veterans under all such programs by coordinating and consulting with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect to
(A)
programs conducted under other provisions of this title, with particular emphasis on coordination of such programs with readjustment counseling activities carried out under section
1712A of this title, apprenticeship or other on-the-job training programs carried out under section
3687 of this title, and rehabilitation and training activities carried out under chapter
31 of this title and
(4)
Ensure that employment, training, and placement activities are carried out in coordination and cooperation with appropriate State public employment service officials.
(5)
Subject to subsection (c), make available for use in each State by grant or contract such funds as may be necessary to support—
(A)
disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists appointed under section
4103A
(a)(1) of this title,
(C)
the reasonable expenses of such specialists and representatives described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, for training, travel, supplies, and other business expenses, including travel expenses and per diem for attendance at the National Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Institute established under section
4109 of this title.
(6)
Monitor and supervise on a continuing basis the distribution and use of funds provided for use in the States under paragraph (5).
(7)
Establish, and update as appropriate, a comprehensive performance accountability system (as described in subsection (f)) and carry out annual performance reviews of veterans employment, training, and placement services provided through employment service delivery systems, including through disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists and through local veterans’ employment representatives in States receiving grants, contracts, or awards under this chapter.
(8)
With advice and assistance from the Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment and [1] Training, and Employer Outreach established under section
4110 of this title, furnish information to employers (through meetings in person with hiring executives of corporations and otherwise) with respect to the training and skills of veterans and disabled veterans, and the advantages afforded employers by hiring veterans with such training and skills, and to facilitate employment of veterans and disabled veterans through participation in labor exchanges (Internet-based and otherwise), and other means.
(c)
Conditions for Receipt of Funds.—
(1)
The distribution and use of funds under subsection (b)(5) in order to carry out sections
4103A
(a) and
4104
(a) of this title shall be subject to the continuing supervision and monitoring of the Secretary and shall not be governed by the provisions of any other law, or any regulations prescribed thereunder, that are inconsistent with this section or section
4103A or
4104 of this title.
(2)
(A)
A State shall submit to the Secretary an application for a grant or contract under subsection (b)(5). The application shall contain the following information:
(i)
A plan that describes the manner in which the State shall furnish employment, training, and placement services required under this chapter for the program year, including a description of—
(I)
duties assigned by the State to disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists and local veterans’ employment representatives consistent with the requirements of sections
4103A and
4104 of this title;
(II)
the manner in which such specialists and representatives are integrated in the employment service delivery systems in the State; and
(III)
the program of performance incentive awards described in section
4112 of this title in the State for the program year.
(B)
(i)
Subject to the succeeding provisions of this subparagraph, of the amount available under subsection (b)(5) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall make available to each State with an application approved by the Secretary an amount of funding in proportion to the number of veterans seeking employment using such criteria as the Secretary may establish in regulation, including civilian labor force and unemployment data, for the State on an annual basis. The proportion of funding shall reflect the ratio of—
(3)
(A)
(i)
As a condition of a grant or contract under this section for a program year, in the case of a State that the Secretary determines has an entered-employment rate for veterans that is deficient for the preceding program year, the State shall develop a corrective action plan to improve that rate for veterans in the State.
(B)
To carry out subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall establish in regulations a uniform national threshold entered-employment rate for veterans for a program year by which determinations of deficiency may be made under subparagraph (A).
(C)
In making a determination with respect to a deficiency under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall take into account the applicable annual unemployment data for the State and consider other factors, such as prevailing economic conditions, that affect performance of individuals providing employment, training, and placement services in the State.
(4)
In determining the terms and conditions of a grant or contract under which funds are made available to a State in order to carry out section
4103A or
4104 of this title, the Secretary shall take into account—
(5)
Each grant or contract by which funds are made available to a State shall contain a provision requiring the recipient of the funds—
(6)
Each State shall coordinate employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans and eligible persons under this chapter with such services furnished with respect to such veterans and persons under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and the Wagner-Peyser Act.
(7)
Of the amount of a grant or contract under which funds are made available to a State in order to carry out section
4103A or
4104 of this title for any program year, one percent shall be for the purposes of making cash awards under the program of performance incentive awards described in section
4112 of this title in the State.
(8)
(A)
As a condition of a grant or contract under which funds are made available to a State in order to carry out section
4103A or
4104 of this title, the Secretary shall require the State to require each employee hired by the State who is assigned to perform the duties of a disabled veterans’ outreach program specialist or a local veterans’ employment representative under this chapter to satisfactorily complete training provided by the National Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Institute during the three-year period that begins on the date on which the employee is so assigned.
(d)
Participation in Other Federally Funded Job Training Programs.—
The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall promote and monitor participation of qualified veterans and eligible persons in employment and training opportunities under title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and other federally funded employment and training programs.
(e)
Regional Administrators.—
(f)
Establishment of Performance Standards and Outcomes Measures.—
(1)
The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall establish and implement a comprehensive performance accountability system to measure the performance of employment service delivery systems, including disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists and local veterans’ employment representatives providing employment, training, and placement services under this chapter in a State to provide accountability of that State to the Secretary for purposes of subsection (c).
(2)
Such standards and measures shall—
(A)
be consistent with State performance measures applicable under section 136(b) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998; and
(g)
Authority to Provide Technical Assistance to States.—
The Secretary may provide such technical assistance as the Secretary determines appropriate to any State that the Secretary determines has, or may have, an entered-employment rate in the State that is deficient, as determined under subsection (c)(3) with respect to a program year, including assistance in the development of a corrective action plan under that subsection.
[1] So in original. The word “and” probably should be a comma.