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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2021 / Rules and Regulations workforce partnership of the availability of the workforce partnership, and provide the participant with all available pertinent information regarding the workforce partnership to enable the participant to make an informed choice about participation.
State agencies are also encouraged to include workforce partnerships in the list of employment and training opportunities provided to households with no reported earned income at 7
CFR 273.14b5.
In conclusion, the Department codifies the regulations pertaining to workforce partnerships as proposed, with one modification at 7 CFR
273.7n10 to require the State agency to target information about workforce partnerships to SNAP participants most likely to benefit from participation in workforce partnerships.

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Minimum Allocation of 100 Percent Funds Current regulations at 7 CFR
273.7d1iC provide that no State agency will receive less than $50,000 in Federal E&T grant funds and set forth the methodology to ensure an equitable allocation among the State agencies. The Act increased this baseline of Federal E&T funds for each State to $100,000 in section 16h1D of the FNA. The Department proposed to modify 7 CFR
273.7d1iC to reflect the change in the baseline, and received one comment on this provision, which was supportive. The Department is therefore finalizing the regulatory language as proposed.
Prioritized Reallocation of Employment and Training Federal Grant Funds Current regulations at 7 CFR
273.7d1iD provide the process for the Department to reallocate unobligated or unexpended Federal E&T
funds to other State agencies requesting additional E&T funds. The Act introduced priorities for the reallocation of these funds in section 16h1Civ of the FNA. Those priorities are: At least 50 percent shall be reallocated to requesting State agencies that were awarded grants to operate E&T pilots under the Agricultural Act of 2014 Pub.
L. 11379 also known as the 2014
Farm Bill, to conduct those E&T
programs and activities from the pilots that the Secretary determines have the most demonstrable impact on the ability of participants to find and retain employment that leads to increased household income and reduced reliance on public assistance; at least 30 percent must be available to State agencies requesting funds for E&T programs and activities authorized under section
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6d4Bi of the FNA that are targeted to individuals with high barriers to employment and that the Secretary determines have the most demonstrable impact on the ability of participants to find and retain employment that leads to increased household income and reduced reliance on public assistance;
and the remaining funds to other State agencies requesting additional funds for E&T programs and activities that the Secretary determines have the most demonstrable impact on the ability of participants to find and retain employment that leads to increased household income and reduced reliance on public assistance. The Department proposed to add new paragraph 7 CFR
273.7d1iii to specify these priorities for the reallocation of funds.
Additionally, the Department proposed to add new paragraph 7 CFR
273.7c6xix to specify that State agencies requesting additional funds would need to submit those requests when their E&T State Plan is submitted for the upcoming Federal fiscal year.
Lastly, the Department proposed to reallocate any unobligated funds remaining after the prioritized reallocation process described above at the proposed new 7 CFR
273.7d1iiiE to State agencies requesting additional funds for E&T
programs and activities that the Secretary determines have the most demonstrable impact.
The Department received five comments on this provision, all of which were supportive of the proposed rule; however, commenters did provide some additional suggestions as detailed below.
With regard to the 30 percent reallocation focused on individuals with substantial barriers to employment, three commenters suggested that, when the State agency requests funds, the State agency estimate the percentage of E&T participants that the State agency expects to serve for each of the listed categories of highly-barriered individuals. Another commenter suggested it may be advantageous for reallocated funds to serve a specific target population of jobseekers e.g., individuals experiencing homelessness who are disproportionately underrepresented among existing E&T
participants in the State seeking additional E&T funds. The Department agrees that focusing reallocated funds on individuals with high barriers to employment is an opportunity to target E&T funds to individuals most likely to need extra support, which is the objective of the 30 percent reallocation.
However, the Department does not believe additional qualifying criteria
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like the percentage of E&T participants that the State agency expects to serve falling into each of the listed categories are necessary to achieve this objective.
The Department believes creating additional criteria to determine how funds are distributed would actually hamper the Departments ability to balance all concerns and re-distribute funds in the most efficient and impactful manner.
Two commenters recommended that the Department require State agencies include in their request for reallocated funds under 7 CFR 273.7d1iiiF
whether the State agency plans to initiate or maintain new services, enhanced services, or new slots with the reallocated E&T funding. The Department does not believe the required inclusion of this information in the State agencys request would significantly alter how reallocated funds are distributed, as a result the Department does not believe a change is necessary.
In conclusion, the Department codifies the regulatory text as proposed without any changes.
Advisement of Employment and Training Opportunities The Act added a requirement at section 11w of the FNA that, at the time of recertification, State agencies advise SNAP household members subject to the requirements of section 6d of the FNA the general work requirements of available employment and training opportunities, if these individuals are members of households containing at least one adult, with no elderly or disabled individuals, and with no earned income at their last certification or required report. The Department proposed to codify this requirement in proposed paragraph at 7
CFR 273.14b5. As a minimum standard for meeting this requirement, the Department proposed that State agencies provide the household, in either electronic e.g., on a website or in an email or in printed form, a list of available employment and training services for household members subject to the general work requirements. The Department clarified that employment and training services are not limited to SNAP E&T. Rather, State agencies should also provide information about the availability of opportunities through the American Job Centers or local community-based organizations. This is particularly important in areas that do not operate SNAP E&T programs. The Department encouraged State agencies to consult with their Departments of Labor when developing information about available employment and
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