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October 10, 1997
Veterans' Program Letter No. 2-98
To: All Regional Administrators and Directors for Veterans Employment
and Training All State Emoployment Security Agency Administrators (SESAS) All
Regional Administrators, Employment and Training Administration (INFO)
From: Espiridion "AL" Borrego Acting Assistant Secretary
Subject: Funding FY 1998 Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) and
Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER) Programs under a Continuing
Resolution
I. Purpose: To provide guidance to States and inform them of the dollar
amounts available for their use under a continuing resolution through October,
1997.
II. References: Fiscal Year (FY) 1998-2000+. DVOP/LVER Solicitation for
Grant Applications (SGA); House Joint Resolution (HJ. RES) 94, adopted
September 29 1997
III. Background: The Congress passed a joint resolution on Monday,
September 29, 1997, to continue finding the Federal Government through October
23; 1997. The Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services'
appropriations bill was not among the three that have passed both houses of
Congress to date. Therefore, all Fiscal Year-based Department of Labor programs
will be subject to finding under the continuing resolution from October 1
through October, 1997, unless the appropriations bill is passed and signed by
the President prior thereto. The Grant Officer has advised that the FY 1998
DVOP/LVER Notices of Grant Awards cannot be executed on October 1 or until such
time as the amounts available for distribution to the States are known.
IV. Guidance: Under the continuing resolution, States will be provided
proportionate amounts based upon the FY 1997 appropriation, sufficient to carry
them through October 23, 1997. The process for distributing funds to the States
will commence as soon after October 1, as possible.
Once an advice of allotment is received from the Office of Management
and Budget, the Acting Assistant Secretary will sign and transmit an agency
allocation to each Regional Administrator for Veterans' Employment and Training
(RAVET). RAVET’s will provide an allocation in accordance with the amounts
identified for each State on the agency allocation. Allocations will be
transmitted to States by the RAVET through a Notification of Obligational
Authority (NOA) for the period covered by the continuing resolution.
It is likely that States will not receive obligation authority before
mid-October. If an appropriation bill is signed during the period covered by
this continuing resolution, the Notice of Grant Award will be signed and an
agency allocation will be issued for the remainder of the first quarter of FY
1998. RAVETs will issue a second Notice of Obligational Authority to increase
the amount of fluids available to States in FY 1998 through the end of the FY
quarter, December 31, 1997.
NOTE: Although States may carry over and use unexpended FY 1997
fluids for the salaries and support of DVOP and LVER staff through the
continuing resolution period and after (through December 31, 1997), DVOP/LVER
finds must be tracked separately by Fiscal Year. FY 1997 carry-over hinds used
during FY 1998 are still tracked and reported as FY 1997 expenditures. Funds
provided under this continuing resolution are to be reported with FY 1998
fluids; not with FY 1997 grant fluids or FY 1997 carry-over funds.
Following the availability of an appropriation, States will receive a
signed Notice of Grant Award for the amounts they have available to them.
States will then have 30 days from the date of their Notice of Grant Award to
submit a State Fiscal Operating Plan for FY 1998 which indicates how many DVOP
and LVER staff the available amounts may support each quarter States must be
mindful to conform to the cost per position and personal services and personnel
benefits to total (PS+PB to total) ratio on their approved State Allocation
Request (SAR). DVETs will meet with the State agency during the period
following notification of grant award to conduct a joint Post-Award conference
at the outset of the new multi-year grant period.
V. Actions Required:
A. Upon notification by VETS, RAVETs will issue States Notices of
Obligational Authority (NOA) for the period covered by the continuing
resolution (H.J. RES 94)-- October 1, 1997, through October, 1997, in
accordance with and upon receipt of the agency allocations signed by the
ASVET.
B. DVETs will ensure, through communication with their State agency
counterparts, that the contents of this VPL were received and understood.
VI. Inquiries
Questions should be directed to the DVET. DVETs will direct inquiries
through the RAVET to the National Office, Attention: Cassandra Willis or
through the Chicago Regional Lead Center, Attention: Joel Delofsky
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