§ 687.180 What are the allowable activities under National Dislocated Worker Grants?

(a) For Employment Recovery DWGs: (1) Employment and training assistance, including those activities authorized at secs. 134(c) through (d) and 170(b)(1) of WIOA. The services to be provided in a particular project are negotiated between the Department and the grantee, taking into account the needs of the target population covered by the grant, and may be changed through grant modifications, if necessary. (2) DWGs may provide for supportive services, including needs-related payments (subject to the restrictions in sec. 134(d)(3) of WIOA, where applicable, and the terms and conditions of the grant) to help workers who require such assistance to participate in the activities provided for in the grant. Generally, the terms of a grant must be consistent with local policies governing such financial assistance under its formula funds (including the payment levels and duration of payments). The terms of the grant agreement may diverge from established local policies, in the following instances: (i) If unemployed dislocated workers served by the project are not able to meet the 13 or 8 weeks enrollment in training requirement established by sec. 134(d)(3)(B) of WIOA because of the lack of formula or DWG funds in the State or local area at the time of the dislocation, such individuals may be eligible for needs-related payments if they are enrolled in training by the end of the 6th week following the date of the DWG award; or (ii) Under other circumstances as specified in guidance governing DWG application requirements. (b) For Disaster DWGs: Funds provided under sec. 170(b)(1)(B) of WIOA can support a different array of activities, depending on the circumstances surrounding the situation for which the grant was awarded: (1) For DWGs serving individuals in an emergency or disaster area declared eligible for public assistance by FEMA, disaster relief employment is authorized to support projects that provide food, clothing, shelter, and other humanitarian assistance for emergency and disaster victims, and projects regarding demolition, cleaning, repair, renovation, and reconstruction of damaged and destroyed structures, facilities, and lands located within the disaster area and in offshore areas related to the emergency or disaster in coordination with the Administrator of FEMA. Employment and training activities also may be provided, as appropriate. An individual's disaster relief employment is limited to 12 months or less for work related to recovery from a single emergency or disaster. The Secretary may extend an individual's disaster relief employment for up to an additional 12 months, if it is requested and sufficiently justified by an entity described in § 687.120(b). (2) For DWGs serving individuals who have relocated from an emergency or disaster area, only employment and training activities will be authorized, except where disaster relief employment is appropriate. (3) For DWGs awarded to States for events that have designations from Federal agencies (other than FEMA) that recognize an emergency or disaster situation as one of national significance that could result in a potentially large loss of employment, disaster relief employment and/or employment and training activities may be authorized, depending on the circumstances associated with the specific event. (c) Disaster Recovery DWG funds may be expended through public and private agencies and organizations engaged in the activities described in this paragraph (b) of this section.