The Commissioner shall make grants to, and enter into contracts with, States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations (including institutions of higher education) to pay part of the cost of projects to provide training, traineeships, and related activities, including the provision of technical assistance, that are designed to assist in increasing the numbers of, and upgrading the skills of, qualified personnel (especially rehabilitation counselors) who are trained in providing vocational, medical, social, and psychological rehabilitation services, who are trained to assist individuals with communication and related disorders, who are trained to provide other services provided under this chapter, to individuals with disabilities, and who may include-
Grants and contracts under paragraph (1) may be expended for scholarships and may include necessary stipends and allowances.
In carrying out this subsection, the Commissioner may make grants to and enter into contracts with States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education, to furnish training regarding provisions of Federal statutes, including section 794 of this title, title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12111 et seq.), and the provisions of titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq. and 1381 et seq.), that are related to work incentives for individuals with disabilities.
The Commissioner may make grants to and enter into contracts under this subsection with States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education, to furnish training to personnel providing services to individuals with disabilities under subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3151 et seq.]. Under this paragraph, personnel may be trained-
Training and other activities provided under paragraph (4) for personnel may be jointly funded with the Department of Labor, using funds made available under subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3151 et seq.].
The Commissioner may make grants to, and enter into contracts with, States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations (including institutions of higher education) to pay part of the costs of academic training projects to provide training that leads to an academic degree or academic certificate. In making such grants or entering into such contracts, the Commissioner shall target funds to areas determined under subsection (e) to have shortages of qualified personnel.
Academic training projects described in this subsection may include-
No grant shall be awarded or contract entered into under this subsection unless the applicant has submitted to the Commissioner an application at such time, in such form, in accordance with such procedures, and including such information as the Secretary may require, including-
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), no grant or contract under this subsection may be used to provide any one course of study to an individual for a period of more than 4 years.
If a grant or contract recipient under this subsection determines that an individual has a disability which seriously affects the completion of training under this subsection, the grant or contract recipient may extend the period referred to in subparagraph (A).
Grants and contracts under paragraph (1) may be expanded to provide services that include the provision of scholarships and necessary stipends and allowances.
A recipient of a grant or contract under this subsection shall provide assurances to the Commissioner that each individual who receives a scholarship, for any academic year beginning after June 1, 1992, utilizing funds provided under such grant or contract shall enter into an agreement with the recipient under which the individual shall-
within a period, beginning after the recipient completes the training for which the scholarship was awarded, of not more than the sum of the number of years in the period described in subclause (III) and 2 additional years; and
except as the Commissioner by regulation may provide for repayment exceptions and deferrals.
The Commissioner shall be responsible for the enforcement of each agreement entered into under subparagraph (A) upon completion of the training involved under such subparagraph.
The Commissioner, in carrying out this section, shall make grants to historically Black colleges and universities and other institutions of higher education whose minority student enrollment is at least 50 percent of the total enrollment of the institution.
A grant may not be awarded to a State or other organization under this section unless the State or organization has submitted an application to the Commissioner at such time, in such form, in accordance with such procedures, and containing such information as the Commissioner may require. Any such application shall include a detailed description of strategies that will be utilized to recruit and train individuals so as to reflect the diverse populations of the United States as part of the effort to increase the number of individuals with disabilities, and individuals who are from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds, who are available to provide rehabilitation services.
The Commissioner shall evaluate the impact of the training programs conducted under this section, and collect information on the training needs of, and data on shortages of qualified personnel necessary to provide services to individuals with disabilities. The Commissioner shall prepare and submit to Congress, by September 30 of each fiscal year, a report setting forth and justifying in detail how the funds made available for training under this section for the fiscal year prior to such submission are allocated by professional discipline and other program areas. The report shall also contain findings on such personnel shortages, how funds proposed for the succeeding fiscal year will be allocated under the President's budget proposal, and how the findings on personnel shortages justify the allocations.
For the purpose of training a sufficient number of qualified interpreters to meet the communications needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and individuals who are deaf-blind, the Commissioner, acting through a Federal office responsible for deafness and communicative disorders, may award grants to public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations to pay part of the costs-
The Commissioner shall award grants under this subsection for programs in geographic areas throughout the United States that the Commissioner considers appropriate to best carry out the objectives of this section.
In awarding grants under this subsection, the Commissioner shall give priority to public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations with existing programs that have a demonstrated capacity for providing interpreter training services.
The Commissioner may award grants under this subsection through the use of-
A grant may not be awarded to an agency or organization under paragraph (1) unless the agency or organization has submitted an application to the Commissioner at such time, in such form, in accordance with such procedures, and containing such information as the Commissioner may require, including-
The Commissioner is authorized to provide technical assistance to State designated agencies and community rehabilitation programs, directly or through contracts with State designated agencies or nonprofit organizations. Any technical assistance provided to community rehabilitation programs shall be focused on the employment outcome of competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities.
An expert or consultant appointed or serving under contract pursuant to this section shall be compensated at a rate, subject to approval of the Commissioner, that shall not exceed the daily equivalent of the rate of pay for level 4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule under section 5382 of title 5. Such an expert or consultant may be allowed travel and transportation expenses in accordance with section 5703 of title 5.
The Commissioner, subject to the provisions of section 776 of this title, may require that recipients of grants or contracts under this section provide information, including data, with regard to the impact of activities funded under this section.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $33,657,000 for fiscal year 2015, $36,257,000 for fiscal year 2016, $37,009,000 for fiscal year 2017, $37,830,000 for fiscal year 2018, $38,719,000 for fiscal year 2019, and $39,540,000 for fiscal year 2020.
29 U.S.C. § 772
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (a)(3), is Pub. L. 101-336, 104 Stat. 327. Title I of the Act is classified generally to subchapter I (§12111 et seq.) of chapter 126 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 12101 of Title 42 and Tables. The Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(3), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620, as amended. Titles II and XVI of the Act are classified generally to subchapters II (§401 et seq.) and XVI (§1381 et seq.), respectively, of chapter 7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of Title 42 and Tables.The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(4) and (5), is Pub. L. 113-128, 128 Stat. 1425. Subtitle B of title I of the Act is classified generally to part B (§3151 et seq.) of subchapter I of chapter 32 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 3101 of this title and Tables.
PRIOR PROVISIONSProvisions similar to this section were contained in section 771a of this title prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 105-220.A prior section 772, Pub. L. 93-112, title III, §303, formerly §302, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 378; Pub. L. 93-516, title I, §105, Dec. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1619; Pub. L. 93-651, title I, §105, Nov. 21, 1974, 89 Stat. 2-4; Pub. L. 94-230, §§5, 11(b)(8), Mar. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 212, 213; Pub. L. 95-602, title I, §§112(b), 122(c)(3), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2968, 2987; Pub. L. 98-221, title I, §132, Feb. 22, 1984, 98 Stat. 24; Pub. L. 99-506, title I, §103(d)(2)(C), title IV, §402, title X, §1001(d)(1), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1810, 1824, 1842; Pub. L. 100-630, title II, §204(b), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3308; Pub. L. 102-52, §4(b), June 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 261; renumbered §303 and amended Pub. L. 102-569, title I, §102(p)(16), title III, §§301(b)(3), 303, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4358, 4411, 4416, related to vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 105-220.A prior section 302 of Pub. L. 93-112 was classified to section 771a of this title prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 105-220.
AMENDMENTS2014-Subsec. (a)(1)(E). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(1)(A)(i), substituted "supported employment services and customized employment services to individuals with the most significant disabilities;" for "services, through supported employment programs, to individuals with a most significant disability; and". Subsec. (a)(1)(H). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(1)(A)(ii)-(iv), added subpar. (H).Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(1)(B)(i), substituted "subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act" for "title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998" in introductory provisions.Subsec. (a)(4)(A). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(1)(B)(ii), substituted "workforce development system" for "workforce investment system".Subsec. (a)(4)(B). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(1)(B)(iii), substituted "section 121(e) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act." for "section 134(c) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998."Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(1)(C), substituted "subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act" for "title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998".Subsec. (b)(1)(B)(i). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(2), substituted "prosthetics and orthotics, vision rehabilitation therapy, orientation and mobility instruction, or low vision therapy" for "or prosthetics and orthotics".Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(3)(A), struck out "and in-service training" after "assistance" in heading.Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(3)(B), inserted after period at end "Any technical assistance provided to community rehabilitation programs shall be focused on the employment outcome of competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities." Subsec. (g)(3). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(3)(C), struck out par. (3) which related to use of funding for projects for in-service training for rehabilitation personnel.Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(4), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 776 of this title. Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 113-128, §441(b)(5), substituted "$33,657,000 for fiscal year 2015, $36,257,000 for fiscal year 2016, $37,009,000 for fiscal year 2017, $37,830,000 for fiscal year 2018, $38,719,000 for fiscal year 2019, and $39,540,000 for fiscal year 2020." for "such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003." 2004-Subsec. (f)(1)(D)(ii). Pub. L. 108-446 made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 1402 of title 20.