1SCSEP.        Will implementation of the veterans' priority established by the Jobs for Veterans Act (a) cause extensive changes in the way the Senior Community Service Employment Program is administered and (b) is this priority waivable (in the case of those programs that allow waivers)?

RESPONSE:

(a) No, it will not cause extensive changes in the administration of the SCSEP program. The SCSEP program already has a priority provision to serve individuals 60 and over and will harmonize this with the veterans' priority. (b) The priority is not waivable.

2SCSEP.        What process will Senior Community Service Employment Program need to go through in order to assure that its grant award document(s) and/or other applicable governing document(s) formally reflect any necessary changes and requirements?

RESPONSE:

SCSEP grant instructions for Program Year (PY) 2003 (July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004) have been disseminated to the current grantees. Instructions mandate that standardized language including veterans' priority will be incorporated into all PY 2003 SCSEP grants. This will also apply to all future SCSEP solicitations and all post-PY 2003 SCSEP grants. Language on veterans' priority has also been incorporated into the proposed SCSEP regulations.

3SCSEP.        Are there any special obligations for the Senior Community Service Employment Program regarding public comment or input on such changes?

RESPONSE:

There are no other special obligations for SCSEP regarding public comment or input on these changes. We did, however, include the priority in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) since we were implementing new regulations. The NPRM in general required public comment; however, the change is statutory and therefore, does not require public input otherwise.

4SCSEP.        How is eligibility for the Senior Community Service Employment Program affected?

RESPONSE:

The Jobs for Veterans Act establishes priority for veterans and qualified spouses for receipt of services ONLY IF the veteran or his/her qualified spouse meets program eligibility requirements.

The veterans' priority is a statutory mandate, but it is not intended to displace the core function of the program. For example, certain targeting provisions are derived from a statutory preference for a particular group of participants or requires the spending of a certain portion of program funds on a particular group of participants. These are mandatory priorities. That being the case, the approach is to harmonize statutory mandates, to the extent feasible, in applying both priorities.

For SCSEP grantees, the specific order of priority for selection of participants will be as follows:

1. Veterans and qualified spouses who are at least 60 years old.

2. Other individuals who are at least 60 years old.

3. Veterans and qualified spouses who are 55-59 years old.

4. Other individuals who are 55-59 years old.

These priorities will be harmonized with the special consideration preferences of section 502(b)(1)(M) the OAA, as amended, to the extent feasible. These statutory preferences apply to the following individuals: 1) those who have incomes below the poverty line; 2) those who have poor employment prospects and who have the greatest social and/or economic need; and 3) those who are eligible minorities, limited English speakers, or Indians. These preferences should be considered within the context of the statutory priorities. For example, among eligible veterans and qualified spouses age 60 and over, to the extent practicable preference should be given to individuals within these three categories.

    Find out about Veterans Priorities for another program: