CHEYENNE – The U.S. Department of Education (USED) granted Wyoming a waiver on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 of section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), commonly referred to as the “Tydings Amendment,” to extend the period of availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 funds for obligation for programs, in which the SEA participates as the eligible agency until September 30, 2021, due to widespread school and program closures and disruptions related to the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The flexibility afforded through the waiver extends the use of fiscal year (FY) 2018 State grant  authorized by Title I of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 through September 30, 2021.

USED announced the availability of this waiver on Thursday, April 16, 2020 and information was immediately sent to states on the waiver submission process. This waiver allows Secretary Betsy DeVos to grant waivers requested by State educational agencies (SEAs) of section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), often referred to as the “Tydings Amendment,” to extend the period of availability of State formula grant funds authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act) and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).

The waiver language can be viewed here. The Wyoming Department of Education will take public comment on the waiver through August 8, 2020. Comments can be submitted through an online form, or mailed to:

Wyoming Department of Education Attn: Shelley Hamel 122 West 25th Street, Suite E200 Cheyenne, WY 82002

All public comments will be recorded verbatim, including the submitter’s name and city of residence, on the Secretary of State website as part of the rules promulgation process.

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Media Contact: Linda Finnerty, Communications Director 307-777-2053 linda.finnerty@wyo.gov