20 CFR § 665.300 - What are rapid response activities and who is responsible for providing them?

(a) Rapid response activities are described in §§ 665.310 through 665.330. They encompass the activities necessary to plan and deliver services to enable dislocated workers to transition to new employment as quickly as possible, following either a permanent closure or mass layoff, or a natural or other disaster resulting in a mass job dislocation.

(b) The State is responsible for providing rapid response activities. Rapid response is a required activity carried out in local areas by the State, or an entity designated by the State, in conjunction with the Local Board and chief elected officials. The State must establish methods by which to provide additional assistance to local areas that experience disasters, mass layoffs, plant closings, or other dislocation events when such events substantially increase the number of unemployed individuals.

(c) States must establish a rapid response dislocated worker unit to carry out Statewide rapid response activities. (WIA secs. 101(38), 112(b)(17)(A)(ii) and 134(a)(2)(A).)