[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 20, Volume 3]
[Revised as of April 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 20CFR625.1]

[Page 158]
 
                      TITLE 20--EMPLOYEES' BENEFITS
 
 CHAPTER V--EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
 
PART 625--DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 625.1  Purpose; rules of construction.

    (a) Purpose. Section 410 of ``The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act'' amended the program for the payment of 
unemployment assistance to unemployed individuals whose unemployment is 
caused by a major disaster, and to provide reemployment assistance 
services to those individuals. The unemployment assistance provided for 
in section 410 of the Act is hereinafter referred to as Disaster 
Unemployment Assistance, or DUA. The regulations in this part are issued 
to implement sections 410 and 423 of the Act.
    (b) First rule of construction. Sections 410 and 423 of the Act and 
the implementing regulations in this part shall be construed liberally 
so as to carry out the purposes of the Act.
    (c) Second rule of construction. Sections 410 and 423 of the Act and 
the implementing regulations in this part shall be construed so as to 
assure insofar as possible the uniform interpretation and application of 
the Act throughout the United States.
    (d) Effectuating purpose and rules of construction. (1) In order to 
effectuate the provisions of this section, each State agency shall 
forward to the United States Department of Labor, on receipt of a 
request from the Department, a copy of any determination or 
redetermination ruling on an individual's entitlement to DUA.
    (2) If the Department believes a determination or redetermination is 
inconsistent with the Secretary's interpretation of the Act, the 
Department may at any time notify the State agency of the department's 
view. Thereafter, the State agency shall appeal if possible, and shall 
not follow such determination or redetermination as a precedent; and in 
any subsequent proceedings which involve such determination or 
redetermination, or wherein such determination or redetermination is 
cited as precedent or otherwise relied upon, the State agency shall 
inform the hearing officer of the Department's view and shall make all 
reasonable efforts to obtain modification, limitation, or overruling of 
the determination or redetermination.
    (3) A State agency may request reconsideration of a notice that a 
determination or redetermination is inconsistent with the Act, and shall 
be given an opportunity to present views and arguments if desired. If a 
determination or redetermination setting a precedent becomes final, 
which the Department believes to be inconsistent with the Act, the 
Secretary will decide whether the Agreement with the State shall be 
terminated.
    (4) Concurrence of the Department in a determination or 
redetermination shall not be presumed from the absence of a notice 
issued pursuant to this paragraph.

[42 FR 46712, Sept. 16, 1977, as amended at 55 FR 554, Jan. 5, 1990]