Agenda for ATAP Membership Call
April 20, 2016
1) Open Call –Audrey
a. Agenda
i. Washington Update
ii. Discussion about 2017 Conference Topics
iii. AFP Grant Applications
iv. Notice to DOE re: ongoing Title III AFP grant operation
v. Update on TA grant
vi. Reminder of State Plan, webinar and data entry
2) Washington Update – Audrey Busch
a. Budget update
i. House GOP Conference still is working on how to move forward with FY 2017 budget process. Speaker Ryan and Chairman of House Appropriations Committee Hal Rogers are both in favor of sticking with spending agreement in Bipartisan Budget Act made in 2015 which increases spending allocations in FY 2017 by $30 billion over what sequestration would have allowed. This is where the argument begins with the House Republicans who want to stick with sequestration level spending caps. So, the House Appropriations Committee is starting to markup appropriations bills with no mechanism at this point to bring them to the House floor for a vote and won’t have a mechanism until there is some agreement struck.
ii. In the Senate, they are moving forward and outlined their spending allocation which aligns with the budget deal struck in 2015. This allocation for the Labor Health and Human Services (LHHS) funding bill was $162 billion which reveals a $270 million cut from the amount provided in FY2016 – this means it will be a fight to keep programs level funded in FY 2017 – including the AT Act. The Senate will have moved on 4 appropriations bills in total by the end of this week at the Committee level. It is likely we will see LHHS appropriations bill and that it may be even voted on by the full body of the Senate.
iii. What this all means?
1. The more action we see on appropriations bills – in either chamber – contributes to any argument democrats and supporting republicans have to fight for an omnibus bill rather than just govern with a full year continuing resolution. There will likely be some type of short term CR but that does not mean an omnibus bill won’t surface as well.
3) Discussion about 2017 Conference Topics – Audrey Busch/Diane Golden
a. Ideas for 2017 Conference
i. Succession planning when staff and/or directors are retiring
ii. Recruitment for staff
iii. Various DC policy people come and speak to the membership
iv. WIOA – where are things moving, where do they want things to be moving better
v. Some variation of the “Brag and Moan” session that Amy Goldman facilitated in 2016
vi. Preconference for new directors
b. Reminder regarding state approval for travel in one fiscal year
4) AFP Grant Applications – Audrey Busch
a. Who is planning to apply?
i. Louisiana, Georgia
b. What help can ATAP provide to these applicants?
i. Please let ATAP know if there is anything we can do to be helpful.
5) Notice to ED re: ongoing Title III AFP grant operation– Diane Golden
i. A handful of states sent letters to the Department of Education (ED) regarding funds from the old Title III and/or Telework programs. In some instances, the funds are decades old and the money has been lent once and, in some cases, three times over. These programs are now running this program under the AT Act and not under a separate Title III and not a separate Telework program. Because it has been such a challenge for auditors, a handful of states notified the ED that these grants are completed and they have no obligation to report. Additionally, these states added that these funds are now reported under a required state level activity. These letters were not asking permission, just notifying ED. If your state is interested, reach out to Diane Golden and see if this makes sense for you to take this approach. She can share a copy of these letters.
6) TA grant update and reminders about State Plan, webinar and data entry – Diane Golden
a. Next Wednesday webinar on state plan and it will be archived if you are not able to attend.
b. No Wrong Door Activity in states
i. If states are doing anything activity with your state’s No Wrong Door initiative, please let Diane Golden know. Also, if any state programs are doing anything collaborative with Part C, IDEA, please let Diane Golden know. If you have tried to do something with either of these programs, even if you may not have something up and running, please let Diane Golden know. Please send a few short sentences describing any activity by the end of this week.
c. TA grant notice was finally published. ATAP is working with a bunch of partners and applying. Members will hear more about this as the application progresses.