Vocational guidance and counseling is supported by the United States government through a variety of laws. The Vocational Education Act (VEA) and other federal legislation consistently provide funds for services to assist in the transition from education/training to work, from unemployment to employment, or from one career to another. Most legislation portrays vocational guidance as an ancillary service. Multiple funding and legislative mandates have made coordination of federal programs and funding sources for vocational guidance difficult. Responsibility for such coordination efforts has been delegated to the local level, where inconsistent terminology that is interpreted differently by administrators and practitioners and other responsibilities of local school guidance personnel act as barriers to administrative efficiency and coordination. Proposed changes to the VEA's guidance provisions would make guidance part of the core programs by funding it out of the basic federal program grant and ensuring inclusion of guidance programs and personnel in all aspects of the ACT's program. A unique role exists for the federal government in the collection, delivery, and utilization of occupational information through the activities of the Employment Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of the Census, and the National and State Occupational Information Coordinating Committees. (Legislative summaries are appended.) (YLB)