Policy Glossary
Law
Any official enactment (a rule, regulation, ordinance, session law or statute) that an entity must comply with.
Rules and Regulations
Statements adopted by an administrative agency, such as the Department of Employment and Economic Development or the U.S. Department of Labor, to make the law more specific or to govern the agency or its procedures. Rules (state) and regulations (federal) have the force and effect of law. An agency may adopt a rule or regulation only after it has been granted enactment authority by the state legislature or U.S. Congress.
Policy
A statement adopted by the administrative agency (DEED) regarding how it will apply rule/regulatory parameters where there is flexibility or a need to clarify law or rule requirements. Federal and state laws and rule requirements are not policies. In some instances, policies may be adopted to standardize practices and may be unrelated to a specific law (e.g., WorkForce Center System policies). Policies may include procedures (required steps to be followed in a definite order by a service provider). Some policies are published for public comment and some proceed directly to published status. Some policies include a number in parentheses following the policy name to allow users to search for a policy by number as well as the policy name. Policy numbers will typically correlate to the compliance manual for the policy subject. Policy numbers are optional.
Requirements
Any law or policy that an entity must comply with.
Guidance
A suggested course of action on how an individual or entity may implement laws and policies (i.e., requirements). Guidance information may include promising practices, suggested courses of action, procedures, or forms. The purpose of guidance is to help entities comply with laws and policies.
Compliance Manual
A user-friendly document that includes program/service requirements and guidance.
Topic
The law or policy area or subject.
Definition
The meaning of a word, phrase, or term.
Summary
A brief statement on what the policy is about and who it applies to. The summary statement typically begins: This policy sets requirements on <policy area> for <compliance entity>.
Effective Date
The start date (month/date/year) of the policy.
Last Updated
The most recent date (month/date/year) that the policy was changed. If the policy has never been changed, this field will be the same as the effective date.
Relevant Laws, Rules, and Policies
Requirements that are referenced in the policy or that relate to the policy.
Related Links
Links to forms or documents referenced in the policy. Related links include required forms/documents that the entity must use and guidance materials that are provided to help the entity comply with the policy.