The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act aims to end the practice of paying workers with disabilities below-minimum wage through special wage certificates, instead moving them into competitive jobs paying fair wages alongside workers without disabilities. The bill establishes grant programs for states and employers to fund this transition, requires states to create advisory councils with meaningful input from workers with disabilities, and phases out special certificates entirely over four years while mandating wage increases for affected workers during that period. States that successfully complete a five-year grant period and stop issuing special certificates become eligible for additional supported employment grants equal to 25 percent of their prior vocational rehabilitation funding through fiscal year 2034. The legislation also authorizes $50 million annually from 2026 through 2031 to fund nonprofit organizations that provide technical assistance to employers making this transition and to evaluate the program's overall effectiveness. This bill fundamentally shifts federal policy away from allowing subminimum wages for people with disabilities and toward integrating them into mainstream competitive employment.
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