TEGL 09-24, Change 1 is the federal operating playbook for Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grants. The useful work starts before the next disaster: define roles, data sources, worksite controls, and the state/local handoff now.
Source + trust record
Source checked as of September 18, 2026. Primary authority: USDOL TEGL 09-24, Change 1 and active California NDWG guidance.
Check result: TEGL 09-24, Change 1 remains active continuing federal guidance for Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grants. A disaster or emergency does not automatically create a local award; eligibility, qualifying event, application, approved activities, grant period, fiscal controls, and award conditions still govern use of DWG funds. This AI-assisted brief does not receive human legal or compliance review. Official sources control.
WDB decision strip
| Status | Action | Primary owner | Trigger | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE · CONTINUING | PREPARE BEFORE THE EVENT | Rapid Response + Executive + Fiscal | Qualifying disaster/emergency + eligible application pathway | Temporary jobs · Worker transition · Recovery coordination · Grant controls |
The bottom line
A disaster declaration does not automatically create a local workforce grant.
Disaster Recovery DWGs are emergency grants tied to a qualifying event, documented need, an eligible applicant, allowable activities, and federal grant conditions. For Local Boards, readiness is the management advantage: know who convenes, what evidence is collected, which partners can host temporary employment, how eligibility and payroll work, and how the local system connects to California’s application and grant-management process.
The three operating lanes
| Lane | What it can support | Local decision |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster-relief employment | Temporary jobs connected to allowable cleanup, recovery, humanitarian assistance, or other disaster-response work. | Which hosts can deploy workers quickly with safe, supervised, documented work? |
| Employment and training | Allowable workforce services for eligible people whose employment was affected by the disaster. | Who needs temporary income, rapid reemployment, or retraining because the old job may not return? |
| Recovery coordination | Grant administration and workforce-system activity needed to connect people, employers, worksites, and recovery partners. | Who owns intake, eligibility, worksite administration, payroll, supportive services, training, and reporting? |
What your WDB should do before the next event
- Pre-identify recovery partners. Include emergency management, public works, nonprofits, community organizations, labor, education, employers, and fiscal/HR functions.
- Define the evidence package. Know which local sources can document layoffs, damaged worksites, business closures, unemployment changes, worker displacement, and recovery labor demand.
- Maintain a worksite template. Pre-build the fields needed for scope, host eligibility, supervision, safety, payroll, timekeeping, participant assignment, and documentation.
- Assign operating ownership. Name leads for intake, eligibility, payroll/worksites, training, supportive services, fiscal, procurement, performance, and communications.
- Map the California pathway. Pair the federal TEGL with WSD23-01 so staff know how a federal DWG becomes a California/local operating project.
- Exercise the process. A tabletop exercise will expose gaps faster than a written plan alone.
Required / local choice / good practice / watch out
| Label | How to apply it |
|---|---|
| Required | Use the grant’s eligibility, allowable-activity, worksite, fiscal, reporting, and award conditions. |
| Local choice | Design the local delivery structure, partner roles, worksite network, and service mix within the approved grant. |
| Good practice | Pre-plan data, partner roles, worksites, and controls before a disaster occurs. |
| Watch out | Do not promise temporary jobs, treat every affected resident as eligible, or incur costs before the applicable grant authority is clear. |
California connection
WSD23-01 — Operational Guidance for National Dislocated Worker Grants is California’s local operating layer. Read the two together: the TEGL establishes federal Disaster Recovery DWG policy; WSD23-01 explains California administration and local implementation.
By role
Rapid Response
Own the employer/worker impact picture and the connection to the broader emergency response.
Fiscal / contracts
Build the controls for worksites, payroll, procurement, documentation, and allowable costs.
WDB leadership
Set partner roles and escalation paths before the event rather than improvising them during recovery.
Source authority
- USDOL TEGL 09-24, Change 1 — Updated National Dislocated Worker Grant Program Guidance and Application Information
- EDD WSD23-01 — Operational Guidance for National Dislocated Worker Grants
Interpretation note: Federal and state grant requirements control. Readiness steps, tabletop exercises, and role assignments above are Workforce Wonkery implementation recommendations.
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