96 STAT. 1380 29 USC 1709. 29 USC 1721. PUBLIC LAW 97-300-OCT. 13, 1982 (A) for printing and binding, in accordance with applicable law and regulation; and (B) without regard to any other law or regulation, for rent of buildings and space in buildings and for repair, alteration, and improvement of buildings and space in buildings rented by the Secretary, except that the Secretary shall not utilize the authority contained in this subparagraph- (i) except when necessary to obtain an item, service, or facility, which is required in the proper administration of this part, and which otherwise could not be obtained, or could not be obtained in the quantity or quality needed, or at the time, in the form or under the conditions in which it is needed; and (ii) prior to having given written notification to the Administrator of General Services (if the exercise of such authority would affect an activity which otherwise would be under the jurisdiction of the General Services Administration) of the Secretary's intention to exercise such authority, the item, service, or facility with respect to which such authority is proposed to be exercised, and the reasons and justifications for the exercise of such authority. DONATIONS SEC. 439. The Secretary is authorized to accept on behalf of the Job Corps or individual Job Corps centers charitable donations of cash or other assistance, including but not limited to, equipment and materials, if such donations are available for appropriate use for the purposes set forth in this part. PART C-VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED SEC. 441. (a)(1) The Secretary shall conduct, directly or through grant or contract, programs to meet the employment and training needs of service-connected disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam era, and veterans who are recently separated from military service. (2) Programs supported under this part may be conducted through public agencies and private nonprofit organizations, including recipients under other provisions of this Act that the Secretary determines have an understanding of the unemployment problems of such veterans, familiarity with the area to be served, and the capability to administer effectively a program of employment and training assistance for such veterans. (3) Programs supported under this part shall include, but not be limited to (A) activities to enhance services provided veterans by other providers of employment and training services funded by Federal, State, or local government; (B) activities to provide employment and training services to such veterans not adequately provided by other public employment and training service providers; and (C) outreach and public information activities to develop and promote maximum job and job training opportunities for such PUBLIC LAW 97-300-OCT. 13, 1982 veterans and to inform such veterans about employment, jobtraining, on-the-job training and educational opportunities under this Act, under title 38, United States Code, and under other provisions of law. (bX1) The Secretary shall administer programs supported under this part through the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment. (2) In carrying out responsibilities under this part, the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment shall— (A) be responsible for the awarding of grants and the distribution of funds under this part and for the establishment of appropriate fiscal controls, accountability, and program-performance standards for grant recipients under this part; and (B) consult with the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs and take steps to ensure that programs supported under this part. are coordinated, to the maximum extent feasible, with related programs and activities conducted under title 38, United States Code, including programs and activities conducted under subchapter IV of chapter 3 of such title, chapters 31 and 34 of such title, and sections 612A, 620A, 1787, and 2003A of such title. PART D-NATIONAL ACTIVITIES 96 STAT. 1381 38 USC 240, 1501 MULTISTATE PROGRAMS SEC. 451. (a) Funds available to carry out this section shall be used 29 USC 1731. for job training programs or services (as authorized under any other provision of this Act) which are most appropriately administered at the national level and which are operated in more than one State. (b) Programs which are most appropriately administered at the national level include programs such as (1) programs addressed to industry-wide skill shortages; (2) programs designed to train workers for employment opportunities located in another State; (3) regional or nationwide efforts to develop a labor force with skills that promote the use of renewable energy technologies, energy conservation, and the weatherization of homes occupied by low-income families; (4) programs designed to develop information networks among local programs with similar objectives under this Act; and (5) programs which require technical expertise available at the national level and which serve specialized needs of particular client groups, including offenders, individuals of limited English language proficiency, handicapped individuals, women, single parents, displaced homemakers, youth, older workers, individuals who lack education credentials, public assistance recipients, and other individuals whom the Secretary determines require special assistance. RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION SEC. 452. (a) To assist the Nation in expanding work opportunities 29 USC 1732. and assuring access to those opportunities for all who desire it, the Secretary shall establish a comprehensive program of employment and training research, utilizing the methods, techniques, and knowledge of the behavioral and social sciences and such other methods, techniques, and knowledge as will aid in the solution of the Nation's 96 STAT. 1382 29 USC 1733. Applications. PUBLIC LAW 97-300--OCT. 13, 1982 employment and training problems. The program under this section may include studies concerning the development or improvement of Federal, State, local, and privately supported employment and training programs; labor market processes and outcomes; policies and programs to reduce unemployment and the relationships thereof with price stability and other national goals; productivity of labor; improved means of forecasting and using forecasts of labor supply and demand at the national and subnational levels; methods of improving the wages and employment opportunities of low-skilled and disadvantaged workers; measuring and developing policies to eliminate worker shortages; and easing the transition from school to work, from transfer payment receipt to self-sufficiency, from one job to another, and from work to retirement. (b) The Secretary shall establish a program of experimental, developmental, and demonstration projects, through grants or contracts, for the purpose of improving techniques and demonstrating the effectiveness of specialized methods in meeting employment and training problems. Research activities may include studies, experiments, demonstrations, and pilot projects in such areas as easing the transition from school to work, assessing the changing demographics of the American work-force and addressing the short-term and longterm impact of the changes, increasing employment of skilled workers critical to defense readiness, and, subject to the last sentence of this subsection, projects developed in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense to meet civilian manpower needs on military installations and in the private sector, and eliminating artificial barriers to employment. The Secretary may pay not to exceed 60 percent of the costs of projects developed in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense described in the preceding sentence, and the contributions of the Department of Defense may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. PILOT PROJECTS SEC. 453. (a) From funds made available under this part, the Secretary may provide financial assistance for pilot projects which meet the employment-related needs of persons including the handicapped and displaced homemakers who face particular disadvantages in specific and general labor markets or occupations and other persons whom the Secretary determines require special assistance, and projects designed to address skill shortages that affect other critical national objectives, including national security. (b) Each pilot project assisted under this section shall be designed to assist in eliminating artificial and other employment barriers faced by such persons. (c) No project under this section shall be financially assisted for more than three years under this Act. (d) In selecting recipients under this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to applications submitted by communitybased organizations of demonstrated effectiveness, as well as to labor unions, and trade associations and their affiliates that address nationwide concerns through programs operating in more than one State. PUBLIC LAW 97-300-OCT. 13, 1982 EVALUATION SEC. 454. (a) The Secretary shall provide for the continuing evalua- (b) The Secretary shall evaluate the effectiveness of programs TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 96 STAT. 1383 29 USC 1734. 42 USC 401. SEC. 455. (a) The Secretary, in consultation with appropriate 29 USC 1735. (b) The Secretary shall establish a national clearinghouse to PART E--LABOR MARKET INFORMATION LABOR MARKET INFORMATION; AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS (b) Funds available for purposes of this part shall also be available (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds available to Information 29 USC 1751. 44 USC 3501 et 20 USC 2301 29 USC 49 note. 96 STAT. 1384 29 USC 1752. 44 USC 3501 et seq. Report. 29 USC 1753. 20 USC 2391. PUBLIC LAW 97-300-OCT. 13, 1982 made available by the head of each such agency to assist in carrying out the provisions of this part. COOPERATIVE LABOR MARKET INFORMATION PROGRAM SEC. 462. (a) The Secretary shall develop and maintain for the Nation, State, and local areas, current employment data by occupation and industry, based on the occupational employment statistics program, including selected sample surveys, and projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of employment and openings by occupation. (b) The Secretary shall maintain descriptions of job duties, training and education requirements, working conditions, and characteristics of occupations. (c) In carrying out the provisions of this section, the Secretary shall assure that (1) departmental data collecting and processing systems are consolidated to eliminate overlap and duplication; (2) the criteria of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, are met; and (3) standards of statistical reliability and national standardized definitions of employment, unemployment, and industrial and occupational definitions are used. (d)(1) The Secretary is authorized to develop data for an annual statistical measure of labor market related economic hardship in the Nation. Among the factors to be considered in developing such a measure are unemployment, labor force participation, involuntary part-time employment, and full-time employment at wages less than the poverty level. (2) The Secretary is authorized to develop and maintain, on national, State, local, and other appropriate bases, household budget data at different levels of living, including a level of adequacy, to reflect the differences of household living costs in regions and localities, both urban and rural. (3) The Secretary shall publish, at least annually, a report relating labor force status to earnings and income. (e) The Secretary shall develop and maintain statistical data relating to permanent lay-offs and plant closings. The Secretary shall publish a report based upon such data, as soon as practicable, after the end of each calendar year. Among the data to be included are (1) the number of such closings; (2) the number of workers displaced; (3) the location of the affected facilities; and (4) the types of industries involved. SPECIAL FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITIES SEC. 463. (a) The Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Education, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, through the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee established under section 161(b) of the Vocational Education Act of 1963, shall (1) review the need for and the application of all operating national data collection and processing systems in order to identify gaps, overlap, and duplications, and integrate at the |