{"id":56898,"date":"2017-09-22T08:27:54","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T08:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=56898"},"modified":"2017-09-22T08:27:54","modified_gmt":"2017-09-22T08:27:54","slug":"u-s-department-of-labor-to-provide-immediate-grants-and-assistance-for-hurricane-maria-recovery-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=56898","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Department Of Labor To Provide Immediate Grants And Assistance For Hurricane Maria Recovery Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, DC<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u2013 As with Hurricanes Irma and Harvey,\u00a0<\/span>the U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with the territories and local partners, is setting aside funding, making grants to assess workforce needs, and providing additional regulatory flexibilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Maria, the U.S. D.O.L. announced Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has directed the Department to assist the residents and businesses in affected areas, and the Department will continue to work cooperatively with the territories to assess needs as they develop. The Department has taken the steps set forth below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by Hurricane Maria,\u201d Secretary Acosta said. \u201cThe Department of Labor is deploying resources to assess workforce needs. Throughout our history, Americans have shown resilience during times of hardship. We are strong, and we will come together to help our fellow citizens in need.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Labor Department activities to assist states and territories include:<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Employment and Training Administration<\/a>\u00a0(ETA) will continue to provide Disaster Dislocated Worker Grants to assess workforce needs. The disbursement of funding will be determined as needs are assessed by the territories and local partners.<\/p>\n

ETA is assisting in administering\u00a0Disaster Unemployment Assistance<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico<\/span>. This assistance may also become available to other jurisdictions impacted by Hurricane Maria if additional disaster declarations are made.<\/p>\n

ETA and the Department\u2019s\u00a0Office of Disability Employment Policy<\/a>\u00a0will make funding available from Disability Employment Initiative grants to provide services, medical equipment, and other resources to individuals with disabilities who are affected by this year\u2019s hurricanes.<\/p>\n

As it did in response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma<\/a>, the\u00a0Employee Benefits Security Administration<\/a>\u00a0(EBSA) is temporarily waiving certain requirements and deadlines related to retirement plans and group health plans, and is coordinating with other federal agencies that regulate employee benefit plans on relief for employers, other plan sponsors, and plan participants and beneficiaries affected by the hurricanes. For example, EBSA is working with the Internal Revenue Service to make it easier for workers to get loans and distributions from 401(k) and other retirement plans and to give employers more time to file the Form 5500 Annual Return\/Report for their employee benefit plans.<\/p>\n