Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for VEVRAA Posted in Federal Register

Posted by OFCCP on 4/26/2011.

Readers can access the posting within the Federal Register by selecting the link below and searching for 1250-AA00.

"OFCCP Publishes Proposed VEVRAA Regulation Revisions to Strengthen
Employment Protections for Veterans

Increasing numbers of veterans are returning from duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world only to face substantial obstacles in finding employment.

Today, in the spirit of ensuring that all Americans have equal access to good jobs and that America’s workplaces are equitable, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The NPRM recommends revisions that strengthen Federal regulations implementing the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (Section 4212), as amended, commonly referred to as VEVRAA.

OFCCP proposes several changes to the requirement that employers doing business with the Federal government engage in specific types of outreach and recruitment that target veterans. One proposal requires Federal contractors to evaluate annually the effectiveness of their efforts to ensure that protected veterans have access to employment opportunities. The NPRM also proposes requiring Federal contractors to establish and maintain quantitative data on the number of protected veterans they learn about through job referrals, the number of protected veterans applying for jobs, and the number of protected veterans they hire. OFCCP’s proposal also requires contractors to establish annual hiring benchmarks based on availability data and other relevant information. These benchmarks will enable contractors to measure their success in recruiting, employing, and retaining protected veterans.

Another proposal addresses self-identification. In light of the difficulty identifying a veteran protected by Section 4212, the NPRM suggests requiring Federal contractors to invite veterans to self-identify both pre-and post-offer of employment.

You can submit comments on OFCCP’s NPRM either electronically at http://www.regulations.gov or by mail. The identification number (RIN) for this NPRM is 1250-AA00. If you are mailing or hand delivering comments, send them to Debra Carr, Director, Division of Policy, Planning, and Program Development, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Room C-3325, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20210. Indicate RIN number 1250-AA00."