Section 3404 - Employment first(a)Policy.--It shall be the policy of the Commonwealth that competitive integrated employment shall be the preferred outcome for all individuals with a disability eligible to work under Federal or State law, regardless of severity of disability and assistance required, and work-based learning experiences for all youth with a disability in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Industry. Employment services and opportunities must be offered to all individuals with a disability receiving publicly funded services, regardless of whether they live in their own home or in a residential setting.(b)Implementation.--State and county agencies and entities providing publicly funded education, training, employment and related services, and long-term services and support for working-age Pennsylvanians with a disability that provide services and support to individuals with a disability who are eligible to work under Federal or State law shall comply with the requirements of Employment First and ensure that the requirements of Employment First are effectively implemented in agency programs and services to the extent practicable.(c)Collaboration.--State and county agencies and entities providing publicly funded education, training, employment and related services, and long-term services and support for working-age Pennsylvanians with a disability that provide services and support to individuals with a disability shall coordinate efforts and collaborate to ensure that State programs, policies, procedures and funding support competitive integrated employment for individuals with a disability who are eligible to work under Federal or State law.(d)Policies.--(1) State and county agencies and entities providing publicly funded education, training, employment and related services and long-term services and supports for working-age Pennsylvanians with a disability shall review their respective policies relating to payment of service providers, including supports coordinators, to align payment policies with the requirements of financial incentives, when allowable under Federal funding rules for employment services, shall be granted to providers who support the placement and continued employment of individuals with a disability in competitive integrated employment.(2) State agencies shall provide the designation of employment champions, consistent with the designation utilized by the Department of Human Services, to providers of service coordination, case management and authorization services funded through the State Medicaid program, including home and community-based waiver programs, who demonstrate commitment to Employment First and successfully support the placement and continued employment of individuals with a disability in competitive integrated employment. Employment champions shall be provided increased technical assistance to further support employment services. A complete list of employment champions shall be made available on the State agencies' websites.(e) Staff.--State and county agencies and entities providing publicly funded education, training, employment and related services, and long-term services and support for working-age Pennsylvanians with a disability shall implement the requirements of Employment First with trained and certified staff that are in compliance with governing statutes and regulations of each State agency.(f)Assessment.--State and county agencies and entities providing publicly funded education, training, employment and related services, and long-term services and support for individuals with a disability shall develop clear outcome expectations for employment that include annual baseline employment data and specific percentage goals for individuals with a disability gaining competitive integrated employment. Each agency shall complete an assessment of its progress toward meeting these goals annually and ensure that the information is publicly available and posted on its publicly accessible Internet website.(g)Progress.--State agencies are authorized to share general, nonindividualized data and information across systems in an effort to track implementation of State agencies are encouraged to adopt measurable goals and objectives to promote the assessment of progress under this subsection.(h)State agency compliance.--The following shall apply: (1) State agencies shall make an effort to employ individuals with a disability in no less than 7% of the overall State work force.(2) State agencies shall review on a biannual basis, the adequacy of hiring, placement and advancement practices with respect to individuals with a disability.(3) No State agency shall be required to give preference in hiring to individuals with a disability.(4) The Office of Administration shall develop a framework for individuals to self-report a disability.(5) The State Civil Service Commission shall review and consider changes in its policies and procedures in order to support progress towards the initial goal established under this subsection.(i) Initial plan.--No later than one year after the effective date of this subsection, the Office of the Governor shall develop an initial three-year plan based upon information provided by the State agencies for implementing Employment First for submission to the General Assembly. The plan shall identify the specific policies and implementation dates for State agency compliance with this act.(j) Annual report.--The assessment information compiled by each State and county agency and any entity providing publicly funded education, training, employment and related services, and long-term services and support for working-age Pennsylvanians with a disability under subsections (f) and (g) and any other information deemed necessary shall be sent to the Governor's Office of Policy and Planning no later than October 1 of each year for consideration and inclusion in an annual report by the Office of the Governor to the General Assembly that documents continued and improved State agency compliance with this act. The report shall be submitted to the General Assembly no later than January 30 of each year.Added by P.L. TBD 2018 No. 36, § 4, eff. 8/20/2018.