(a) Sanctions; judicial enforcement. If compliance has not been achieved after issuance of a Final Determination under §§ 38.95 and 38.96, or a Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement under §§ 38.98 through 38.100, the Secretary may:

(1) After opportunity for a hearing, suspend, terminate, deny or discontinue the WIOA Title I financial assistance, in whole or in part;

(2) Refer the matter to the Attorney General with a recommendation that an appropriate civil action be instituted; or

(3) Take such action as may be provided by law, which may include seeking injunctive relief.

(b) Deferral of new grants. When proceedings under § 38.111 have been initiated against a particular recipient, the Department may defer action on that recipient's applications for new WIOA Title I financial assistance until a Final Decision under § 38.112 has been rendered. Deferral is not appropriate when WIOA Title I financial assistance is due and payable under a previously approved application.

(1) New WIOA Title I financial assistance includes all assistance for which an application or approval, including renewal or continuation of existing activities, or authorization of new activities, is required during the deferral period.

(2) New WIOA Title I financial assistance does not include assistance approved before the beginning of proceedings under § 38.111, or increases in funding as a result of changed computations of formula awards.

(a) Notice of opportunity for hearing. As part of a Final Determination, or a Notification of Breach of a Conciliation Agreement, the Director must include, and serve on the grant applicant or recipient (by certified mail, return receipt requested), a notice of opportunity for hearing.

(b) Complaint; request for hearing; answer. (1) In the case of noncompliance that cannot be voluntarily resolved, the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement is considered the Department's formal complaint.

(2) To request a hearing, the grant applicant or recipient must file a written answer to the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement, and a copy of the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement, with the Office of the Administrative Law Judges in accordance with 29 CFR part 18.

(i) The answer must be filed within 30 days of the date of receipt of the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement.

(ii) A request for hearing must be set forth in a separate paragraph of the answer.

(iii) The answer must specifically admit or deny each finding of fact in the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement. Where the grant applicant or recipient does not have knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief, the answer may so state and the statement will have the effect of a denial. Findings of fact not denied are considered admitted. The answer must separately state and identify matters alleged as affirmative defenses, and must also set forth the matters of fact and law relied on by the grant applicant or recipient.

(3) The grant applicant or recipient must simultaneously serve a copy of its filing on the Office of the Solicitor, Civil Rights and Labor-Management Division, Room N-2474, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210.

(4)(i) The failure of a grant applicant or recipient to request a hearing under this paragraph (b), or to appear at a hearing for which a date has been set, waives the right to a hearing; and

(ii) Whenever a hearing is waived, all allegations of fact contained in the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement are considered admitted, and the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement becomes the Final Decision of the Secretary as of the day following the last date by which the grant applicant or recipient was required to request a hearing or was to appear at a hearing.

(c) Time and place of hearing. Hearings will be held at a time and place ordered by the Administrative Law Judge upon reasonable notice to all parties and, as appropriate, the complainant. In selecting a place for the hearing, due regard must be given to the convenience of the parties, their counsel, and witnesses, if any.

(d) Judicial process; evidence—(1) Judicial process. The Administrative Law Judge may use judicial process to secure the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents authorized by Section 9 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 49).

(2) Evidence. In any hearing or administrative review conducted under this part, evidentiary matters will be governed by the standards and principles set forth in the Rules of Evidence issued by the Department of Labor's Office of Administrative Law Judges, 29 CFR part 18.

[81 FR 87211, Dec. 2, 2016, as amended at 86 FR 1785, Jan. 11, 2021]

(a) Initial decision. After the hearing, the Administrative Law Judge must issue an initial decision and order, containing findings of fact and conclusions of law. The initial decision and order must be served on all parties.

(b) Exceptions; Final Decision—(1) Final Decision after a hearing. The initial decision and order becomes the Final Decision and Order of the Department unless exceptions are filed by a party or, in the absence of exceptions, the Administrative Review Board serves notice that it will review the decision.

(i) Exceptions. A party dissatisfied with the initial decision and order may, within 45 days of receipt, file with the Administrative Review Board and serve on the other parties to the proceedings and on the Administrative Law Judge, exceptions to the initial decision and order or any part thereof, in accordance with 29 CFR part 26.

(ii) Transmittal of record and initial decision by Administrative Law Judge. Upon receipt of exceptions, the Administrative Law Judge must index and forward the record and the initial decision and order to the Administrative Review Board within three days of such receipt.

(iii) Specificity required when filing exceptions. A party filing exceptions must specifically identify the finding or conclusion to which exception is taken.

(iv) Reply. Within 45 days of the date of filing such exceptions, a reply, which must be limited to the scope of the exceptions, may be filed and served by any other party to the proceeding in accordance with 29 CFR part 26.

(v) Requests for extensions. Requests for extensions for the filing of exceptions or replies must be received by the Administrative Review Board no later than 3 days before the exceptions or replies are due.

(vi) Review by Administrative Review Board on its own motion. If no exceptions are filed, the Administrative Review Board may, within 30 days of the expiration of the time for filing exceptions, on its own motion serve notice on the parties that it will review the decision.

(vii) Final Decision and Order without review by Administrative Review Board. (A) Where exceptions have been filed, the initial decision and order of the Administrative Law Judge becomes the Final Decision and Order unless the Administrative Review Board, within 30 days of the expiration of the time for filing exceptions and replies, has notified the parties that the case is accepted for review.

(B) Where exceptions have not been filed, the initial decision and order of the Administrative Law Judge becomes the Final Decision and Order unless the Administrative Review Board has served notice on the parties that it will review the decision, as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(vi) of this section.

(viii) Decision and Order after review by Administrative Review Board. In any case reviewed by the Administrative Review Board under this paragraph, a decision must be issued within 180 days of the notification of such review. If the Administrative Review Board fails to issue a decision and order within the 180-day period, the initial decision and order of the Administrative Law Judge becomes the Final Decision and Order.

(2) Final Decision where a hearing is waived. (i) If, after issuance of a Final Determination under § 38.95 or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement under § 38.98, voluntary compliance has not been achieved within the time set by this part and the opportunity for a hearing has been waived as provided for in § 38.111(b)(4), the Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement becomes the Final Decision.

(ii) When a Final Determination or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement becomes the Final Decision, the Administrative Review Board may, within 45 days, issue an order terminating or denying the grant or continuation of assistance; or imposing other appropriate sanctions for the grant applicant's, Governor's, or recipient's failure to comply with the required corrective and/or remedial actions, or the Secretary may refer the matter to the Attorney General for further enforcement action.

[81 FR 87211, Dec. 2, 2016, as amended at 85 FR 13033, Mar. 6, 2020; 85 FR 30619, May 20, 2020; 86 FR 1785, Jan. 11, 2021]

Any action to suspend, terminate, deny or discontinue WIOA Title I financial assistance must be limited to the particular political entity, or part thereof, or other recipient (or grant applicant) as to which the finding has been made, and must be limited in its effect to the particular program, or part thereof, in which the noncompliance has been found. No order suspending, terminating, denying or discontinuing WIOA Title I financial assistance will become effective until:

(a) The Director has issued a Final Determination under § 38.95 or Notification of Breach of Conciliation Agreement under § 38.98;

(b) There has been an express finding on the record, after opportunity for a hearing, of failure by the grant applicant or recipient to comply with a requirement imposed by or under the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of WIOA or this part;

(c) A decision issued by the Administrative Review Board has become final, the Administrative Law Judge's decision and order has become the Final Agency Decision, or the Final Determination or Notification of Conciliation Agreement has been deemed the Final Agency Decision, under § 38.112(b); and

(d) The expiration of 30 days after the Secretary has filed, with the committees of Congress having legislative jurisdiction over the program involved, a full written report of the circumstances and grounds for such action.

[81 FR 87211, Dec. 2, 2016, as amended at 85 FR 13033, Mar. 6, 2020; 85 FR 30619, May 20, 2020]

When the Department withholds funds from a recipient or grant applicant under these regulations, the Secretary may disburse the withheld funds directly to an alternate recipient. In such case, the Secretary will require any alternate recipient to demonstrate:

(a) The ability to comply with these regulations; and

(b) The ability to achieve the goals of the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of WIOA.

(a) A grant applicant or recipient adversely affected by a Final Decision and Order issued under § 38.112(b) will be restored, where appropriate, to full eligibility to receive WIOA Title I financial assistance if the grant applicant or recipient satisfies the terms and conditions of the Final Decision and Order and brings itself into compliance with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of WIOA and this part.

(b) A grant applicant or recipient adversely affected by a Final Decision and Order issued under § 38.112(b) may at any time petition the Director to restore its eligibility to receive WIOA Title I financial assistance. A copy of the petition must be served on the parties to the original proceeding that led to the Final Decision and Order. The petition must be supported by information showing the actions taken by the grant applicant or recipient to bring itself into compliance. The grant applicant or recipient has the burden of demonstrating that it has satisfied the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section. While proceedings under this section are pending, sanctions imposed by the Final Decision and Order under § 38.112(b)(1) and (2) must remain in effect.

(c) The Director must issue a written decision on the petition for restoration.

(1) If the Director determines that the grant applicant or recipient has not brought itself into compliance, the Director must issue a decision denying the petition.

(2) Within 30 days of its receipt of the Director's decision, the recipient or grant applicant may file a petition for review of the decision by the Administrative Review Board, setting forth the grounds for its objection to the Director's decision.

(3) The petition must be served on the Director and on the Office of the Solicitor, Civil Rights and Labor-Management Division.

(4) The Director may file a response to the petition within 14 days.

(5) The Administrative Review Board must issue a decision denying or granting the recipient's or grant applicant's request for restoration to eligibility.

[81 FR 87211, Dec. 2, 2016, as amended at 85 FR 13033, Mar. 6, 2020; 85 FR 30619, May 20, 2020]