ATTACHMENT 1
OPTIONS FOR SUBMITTING STRATEGIC FIVE-YEAR PLANS FOR TITLE I YOUTH ACTIVITIES UNDER WIA
The Fiscal Year 1999 Appropriations Act (Public Law 105-277) language allowed for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), Title II-B and Title II-C funds to be available for obligation on April 1, 1999. This early obligation of funds allowed States to expend funds for planning or early start up of Calendar Year (CY) 1999 Summer Youth Employment and Training Program (SYETP), as well as facilitated a move toward a consolidated funding stream. This year is the last year that JTPA allotments and funds are available to operate SYETP programs for the period April 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) provides that funds for Youth Activities may be made available for obligation beginning April 1, 2000. All States must commence Youth Activities under WIA effective July 1, 2000.
During this transition period, several questions have been raised regarding Plan requirements and procedures States must follow to expend youth funds prior to July 1, 2000, and specifically for planning CY 2000 summer employment opportunities. Three options are provided for States to obtain Program Year (PY) 2000 youth funds to plan and conduct required Youth Activities under WIA. It must be noted that these options do not impose additional requirements, rather, they provide a mechanism for a State to separately submit the Youth Activities portion of their State Plan using the Planning Guidance established in the Federal Register notice. In order to access funds on April 1, 2000, States must follow one of the three options outlined below. States which plan to access funds later than April 1, should submit their plans no less than ninety days prior to when the State plans to access funds.
Option 1: Submit a full implementation plan early
States that can fully address all the planning requirements of the Planning Guidance and Instructions for Submission of the Strategic Five-Year Plan for Title I of WIA of 1998 and the Wagner-Peyser Act, and that will have all critical elements related to the Youth Activities (see Attachment II ), in place by April 1, 2000, may submit a full implementation Plan. These State Plans must be submitted no later than January 1, 2000 to be approved and thus enable obligation of youth funds on April 1, 2000.
Under this option, States may submit a full Plan outlining its Youth Activities which will become effective April 1, 2000 with remaining required elements to become effective in accordance with the State's implementation time line.
Option 2: Submit a Transition Plan for Youth Activities
The February 25, 1999, planning guidance provides States with the option to submit a transition Plan describing how PY 99 funds will be used during the transition to WIA. Under this option, States may file a transition Plan addressing only the youth portion of the Plan.
States that wish to provide WIA funded Youth Activities early, that can fully address all planning requirements related to youth activities, and that will have all the youth related critical elements in place by April 1, 2000, but will not have all of the other critical WIA elements in place by that time, may submit a Transition Plan that, at a minimum, addresses all of the requirements related to the Youth Activities identified in the WIA Title I State Planning Guidance published in the February 25, 1999, Federal Register. Attachment II provides direction on identifying those parts of the Planning Guidance that are applicable to youth. In order to begin expending WIA funds which may be made available on April 1, 2000, the Plan must be submitted no later that January 1, 2000.
Under this option, States would receive the entire youth allocation on April 1, 2000.
States will need to address the remaining elements of the Plan requirements, no later than April 1, 2000 to obtain full Plan approval by July 1, 2000.
Option 3: Submit an abbreviated Transition Plan for Youth Activities that will be conducted between April 1 and June 30.
Under WIA, the Department has broad transition authority to ensure an orderly change from JTPA to WIA. Using this authority, States that are unable to submit a plan under Option 1 or 2 above, may submit an abbreviated youth plan explaining how they will operate youth activities, consistent with WIA, from April 1 through June 30. This option is for States that are prepared to provide youth services consistent with Section 129 of WIA but will not have in place all of the required WIA system components. The Plan must be submitted no later than January 1, 2000, if the State wants to access funds on April 1, 2000. Attachment III provides direction on identifying those parts of the February 25, 1999, Planning Guidance that are necessary for compliance with Youth Activities under WIA during the April 1 through June 30 transition period. These elements represent the minimum requirements that a State must address to obtain limited PY 2000 youth funds. It must be noted, that in choosing this option, a State will receive a reduced allocation to allow operation of WIA youth activities between April 1 and June 30, 2000. In addition, States must fully address all planning requirements related to youth activities as part of their overall planning requirements, no later than April 1, 2000, in order to fully implement WIA by July 1, 2000.