# 2026-01117: Labor Dept Gives States Extra Year for Job Service Staffing Rules

2026-01117, Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing, Delay of Merit Staffing Compliance Date, is a Federal Register rule from Labor Department, Employment and Training Administration published 2026-01-21, effective 2026-01-21 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01117
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-01117
- Title: Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing, Delay of Merit Staffing Compliance Date
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Labor Department; Employment and Training Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 2486
- Published: 2026-01-21
- Effective: 2026-01-21
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: 1205-AC23
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

Labor Dept Gives States Extra Year for Job Service Staffing Rules

## Summary

The Department of Labor is giving States an extra year to follow new rules about how they staff job service programs funded by the Wagner-Peyser Act. Instead of needing to comply by January 22, 2026, States now have until January 21, 2027. This delay helps States manage their staffing changes without risking their grant money right away.

## Abstract

The Department of Labor's (Department's) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is delaying by 1 year the date by which State grantees, as a condition on their grant funds, must comply with the regulatory requirements in the 2023 Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing Final Rule regarding the grant-funded staffing models States must use to deliver services in the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service (ES). The 2023 Final Rule became effective on January 23, 2024, and provided that all States have until January 22, 2026, 24 months after the effective date of the rule, to comply with the staffing requirements. With this 1-year delay, the compliance date is now January 21, 2027.

## Effects PRIA read

- One-year delay for State staffing rules: benefit, low. If you are a State that receives Wagner-Peyser Act (Employment Service) grant funds, the deadline to comply with the 2023 merit-staffing requirement has been moved from January 22, 2026 to January 21, 2027. The final rule is effective January 21, 2026, and delays enforcement of the staffing conditi…
- Other 2023 rule changes still apply: cost, low. The delay only postpones the State merit-staffing compliance date; States must still follow the other parts of the 2023 Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing Final Rule, including changes to 20 CFR parts 653 and 658. Those other regulatory requirements remain in effect and are not delayed by this final rule.

## Related documents

- [2026-18978](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18978): Federal-State Unemployment Compensation (UC) Program; Data Availability, 2026-09-16
- [2026-16982](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16982): Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service Staffing, 2026-08-20
- [2026-10456](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-10456): Department of Labor Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Annual Adjustments for 2026, 2026-05-27
- [2026-18043](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18043): Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program: Notice of Federal Agency With Adequate Safeguards To Satisfy the Confidentiality Requireme…, 2026-09-03
- [2026-17834](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-17834): Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Job Corps Placement and Assistance Record, 2026-09-01
- [2026-17833](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-17833): Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Student Safety Assessment (SSA) of Job Corps Students, 2026-09-01

## Sources
- [2026-01117 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/21/2026-01117/wagner-peyser-act-staffing-delay-of-merit-staffing-compliance-date)
- [2026-01117 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-21/pdf/2026-01117.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-01094, Airworthiness Directives; CFM International, S.A. Engines](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01094)
- [Next: 2026-01141, Revising Definition of “Unlawful User of or Addicted to Controlled Substance”](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01141)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01117 (as of 2026-06-11).