Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act Resources

WIOA Final Rules

On August 19, 2016, the Employment & Training Administration (ETA) – U.S. Department of Labor announced that the Federal Register published the official WIOA Final Rules. The final rules include the following five sections: the Joint Rule for Unified and Combined State Plans, Performance Accountability, and the One-Stop System Joint Provisions DOL Only Final Rule; Programs and Activities Authorized by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Title II of WIOA) Final Rule; State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program; State Supported Employment Services Program; Limitations on Use of Sub-minimum Wage Final Rule; and WIOA Miscellaneous Program Changes Final Rule.

US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration WIOA Final Rules Resource Page

WIOA Final Rules Quick Review

Overview

On July 22, 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) into law, a bipartisan and bicameral piece of legislation that reauthorizes federal workforce development and job training programs for the next six years.

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the nation’s largest single source of federal funding for workforce development activities, had been due for reauthorization since 2003. The passage of the new WIOA legislation authorizes Congress to fund federal workforce programs between fiscal years 2015-2020.

WIOA does not make drastic structural changes to the workforce system, but does include provisions that will streamline programs, strengthen the emphasis on serving local employers, increase the transparency of training providers, and create more consistent performance accountability standards. While it does not consolidate funding streams into block grants to states, the act eliminated 15 workforce programs, most of which have not been funded in recent years. It restores the state set-aside to 15 percent, and includes a 90 percent hold harmless provision for adult and youth programs to help protect against wide variations in annual funding levels due to the formula.

March 1, 2016	Local Designation Letter submission deadline (WSG No. 02-2014- Process and Timeline for Designation of Pennsylvania’s Local Workforce Development Areas)
March 23, 2016	Deadline for a new or updated local Priority of Service policy (WSP No. 05-2015 – Priority of Service)
April 1, 2016	Deadline for states to submit state plans to USDOL (previously March 3^rd)
June 2, 2016	Local and Regional Plan Submission Deadline (Workforce System Guidance No. 05-2015 (Change 1), (February 29, 2015) Regional and Local Planning)
June 30, 2016	Eligible Training Programs/Providers on the ETPL will remain on the ETPL until this date. This date was extended from December 31, 2015 in TEGL 41-14 Change 1. (WSG No. 01-2015 – Transition Provisions)
July 1, 2016	Any request for a new area designation will take effect. (WSG No. 02-2015 – Process and Timeline for Designation…)
July 1, 2016	LWDBS must have copies of the compliance components/documents provided for in Section 5, page 17 of WSG No. 05-2015 – Regional and Local Planning (Change 1)
July 1, 2016 – August 31, 2017	ETPL Program Year for Initial and Continued Eligibility. (WSP No. 04-2015 – Eligible Training Providers)
November 11, 2016 (90 days after the publication of the WIOA Final Rule)	The date by which Local WDBs must demonstrate they are preparing for the one-stop operator competition process. (WIOA Joint Final Rule, Section 678.635, Federal Register Vol. 81, No. 161, p. 55901) The date by which one-stop centers are required to: brand all of their primary electronic resources; and not create, print or purchase any new products and materials that do not comply with the new branding requirements. (WIOA Joint Final Rule, Section 678.900, Federal Register Vol. 81, No. 161, p. 55919)
July 1, 2017	One-stop center re-branding of activities, physical products, and signage must be complete. (WIOA Joint Final Rule, Section 678.900, Federal Register Vol. 81, No. 161, p. 55919)
September 1, 2017	Beginning of the first ETPL eligibility period post WIA transition period. (WSP No. 04-2015 – Eligible Training Providers)
June 30, 2017	Competitively procured PA CareerLink® center operators must be in place. (WSG No. 01-2015, Implementation of the WIOA – Transition Provisions)
July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017 and July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018	Initial Local Area Designation Period (WIOA Labor Only, Section 679.260, Final Rule, Vol. 81, No. 161)
June 30, 2018 and thereafter	Subsequent Local Area Designation Period (WIOA Labor Only, Section 679.260, Final Rule, Vol. 81, No. 161)

PA Workforce Development Association

WIOA Final Rules

Overview

PA WIOA Combined State Plan (2016) and Modified Plan (2018)

PA Workforce System Deadlines

Relevant State Workforce System Guidance & Policies

Relevant TEGLs Issued by U.S. Department of Labor

Other Resources and Analysis

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