Program authorized

From the amounts appropriated to carry out this title, the Secretary of Labor shall award grants under sections 102 and 103, on a competitive basis, to States and eligible entities to assist employers who were issued special certificates in transforming their business and program models from providing employment using such special certificates to business and program models that employ and support individuals with disabilities by— (1) providing competitive integrated employment, including by compensating all employees of the employer at a rate that is— (A) not less than the higher of the rate specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) or the rate specified in the applicable State or local minimum wage law; and (B) not less than the customary rate paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by other employees who are not individuals with disabilities, and who are similarly situated in similar occupations by the same employer and who have similar training, experience, and skills; (2) assisting individuals with disabilities who were employed by the employer in finding and retaining work in competitive integrated employment, which work may be with the employer after such transformation or in another competitive integrated employment setting; (3) providing integrated community participation and wraparound services for individuals with disabilities; and (4) ensuring all such services and other non-employment services offered under, or with assistance from, such a grant comply with the requirements for home and community-based services under the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) final rule published on January 16, 2014 (79 Fed. Reg. 2948), or a successor rule.