Jobs for Veterans State Grants Application and Planning Instructions for Fiscal Years 2015-2019

U .S. Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for

Veterans’ Employment and Training

Washington, D.C. 20210

VETERANS' PROGRAM LETTER NO. _________

TO: ALL REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS AND DIRECTORS FOR

VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING

ALL STATE WORKFORCE AGENCY ADMINISTRATORS

ALL REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS, EMPLOYMENT AND

TRAINING ADMINISTRATION (INFO)

_{FROM: KEITH KELLY}

SUBJECT: Jobs for Veterans State Grants Application and Planning Instructions

for Fiscal Years 2015 - 2019

1. Purpose: To provide guidance for the submission of applications for the Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) for Fiscal Years (FY) 2015 – 2019.

2. References: Title 38, United States Code (38 U.S.C.), Chapter 41 and 42. Title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1001.100 (20 CFR 1001.100), et seq. Veterans’ Program Letters (VPLs) 03-14 and 04-14.

3. Rescissions: This VPL supersedes VPL 03-09, dated May 1, 2009 and VPL 03-13, dated July 22, 2013.

4. Paperwork Reduction Act:  OMB Information Collection Control Number 1225-0086, Expires January 31, 2016.

• According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.  Except as otherwise noted, this information collection has been approved under control number 1225-0086.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  Send comments about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of the Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301, Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected].  PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS.  SEND IT TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED IN THIS SOLICITATION.

• This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant.  The information collected through this “Solicitation for Cooperative Agreements” will be used by the Department of Labor to ensure that grants are awarded to the applicant best suited to perform the functions of the grant.  Submission of this information is required in order for the applicant to be considered for award of this grant.

5. Background: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(b)(5-7) and § 4102A(c), the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training (ASVET) makes grant funds available for use in each State to support Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVERs), monitors and supervises the distribution and use of those funds, and monitors the performance of JVSG grant recipients. In order to receive funding, 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(c) requires States to submit an application for a grant that contains a narrative plan, hereafter referred to as the State Plan, which describes:

• How the State intends to provide employment, training and job placement services to veterans and eligible persons under the JVSG;

• The duties assigned to DVOP specialists and LVER staff by the State; specifically implementing DVOP and LVER duties or roles and responsibilities as outlined in 38 U.S.C. § 4103A and 4104. These duties must be consistent with VPL 03-14 or more recent guidance on the subject;

• The manner in which DVOP specialists and LVER staff are integrated into the State’s employment delivery service system or American Job Center (AJC) network;

• The Incentive Award program implemented using the 1% of the grant allocation set aside for this purpose;

• The veteran population to be served and any additional populations specifically targeted by the State Workforce Agency for services from AJC partners (e.g., Native American veterans; veterans in remote rural counties or parishes). Under VPLs 03-14 and 04-14, DVOP specialists may only serve veterans with significant barriers to employment (SBEs) and veterans 18-24;

• The hire date along with mandatory training completion dates for all DVOP specialists and LVERs; and

• Such additional information as the Secretary may require.

Grant applications must include a budget forecast for FY 2015 only. A new budget forecast based on annually allocated funding will be requested by the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) in subsequent years. Approved State Plans may be modified annually through FY 2019.

6. The Grant Application: The JVSG application forms for this funding opportunity are posted on the JVSG page link to VETS home page at: http://www.dol.gov/vets/grants/state/jvsg_forms.htm and on the Federal grant website at http://www.grants.gov. Directors for Veterans' Employment and Training (DVETs) will provide any and all assistance needed by States to develop a State Plan narrative and funding request that meets the requirements for the JVSG application.

Each State’s JVSG application narrative State Plan is to be prepared for the entire five-year grant period in accordance with the instructions in Attachment 2. State Plans will discuss the following priorities in addition to other mandates and/or requirements outlined in the General and Special Grant Provisions;

• The duties or roles and responsibilities that DVOP specialists and LVER staff perform within the State Workforce Agency (SWA) AJC in accordance with Title 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) Chapters 41 and 42 and VPL 03-14;

• Consistent with VPLs 03-14 and 04-14, identification of the veteran and eligible person populations that will be served and, how those services will be provided to the indicated populations through JVSG and AJC staff;

• The specific roles of DVOP specialists and LVER staff in the State’s integration plan and how the State intends to maintain the distinct duties of JVSG, AJC, Wagner-Peyser funded, and partner staff in providing priority of service to eligible veterans and eligible persons as required by 38 U.S.C. § 4215; and

• How the State intends to have DVOP staff provide intensive and job-driven employment and training services to those eligible veterans and eligible persons identified in VPLs 03-14 and 04-14.

States should understand that they are submitting new State Plans for the FY 2015 - 2019 grant period. All waivers to policy allowing more than one management official funded by the grant expire with the FY 2010 - 2014 approved State Plans. Accordingly, States that wish to continue these practices or policies must submit a new waiver request for approval. Waiver requests should include appropriate justification.

7. Availability of FY 2015 Funds: The total base funding estimate for each State in FY 2015 is provided in the Preliminary Estimate of Funding column of Attachment 1. This column includes the 1% set aside that can only be used for approved Incentive Award Programs. The last column contains the Preliminary Estimate of Funding for States that do not plan to use Incentive Award funding. Funds for the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) are no longer included in the Estimate of Funding as States no longer facilitate the TAP program.

The FY 2015 planning estimates shown in Attachment 1 may differ from the funding made available in FY 2014 through VPL 01-14 Change 1. This is a result of the application of the JVSG funding formula, which is based on annual data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the distribution of unemployed veterans across the nation. Any state whose FY 2015 planning estimate is less than the total FY 2014 funding made available through VPL 01-14 Change 1 may request additional funds, up to the FY 2014 level, in order to continue to support the increased staffing levels through FY 2015.

Federal government obligations and funding for State Grants are contingent upon the availability of an authorized appropriation. If a timely appropriation is not enacted into law, or if the actual appropriation falls below the projection, the DOL reserves the right, upon proper notice to the grantee, to unilaterally reduce the grant amounts to reflect the actual amounts available in the funding resolution or annual appropriation. Based upon under-expenditures, VETS may adjust a grantee's funding through a reallocation process on a quarterly basis.

8. Actions Required:

A. States will provide full grant applications to their respective DVET in hard copy or electronic copy in accordance with the application instructions and due dates below. Please note: the Department of Labor’s E-grants system will generate JVSG grant numbers beginning in FY 2015 and these system generated numbers will not be known when JVSG grant applications are submitted. Therefore, States will not include a grant number on any application documents.

Action Item Due Date
State submits first draft of grant application to DVET for review	July 14, 2014
DVET returns recommendations and review findings to State	July 21, 2014
State submits final grant application to DVET	July 28, 2014
National Review Team evaluates grant applications	Aug 11-18, 2014
State submits approved application to grants.gov	Upon notification by DVET

B. States should review the attached Special Grant Provisions and provide any comments to the DVET within 45 days of the issuance date of this VPL.

9. Inquiries: Questions should be referred to the appropriate DVET.

10. Expiration Date: This directive expires on September 30, 2019.

11. Attachments:

1. Jobs for Veterans State Grant Funding Estimates

2. JVSG Application FY 2015-2019

3. Assurances/Certifications

4. General Grant Provisions

5. Special Grant Provisions

6. Common Acronyms

7. Glossary of Terms