Council discusses 14(c) certificate workers, transition concerns and need for phased approach

Council members raised questions about legislation to eliminate or limit use of 14(c) subminimum-wage certificates and about the broader landscape of employment for people with disabilities.

Faye Lentz asked whether DDS supported doing away with 14(c). Commissioner Jordan Schaff said the agency’s testimony has been neutral and that, while the state understands the national direction, “to make a sudden change would have an impact on a number of people.” Schaff said Connecticut has been reducing sheltered workshops and 14(c) usage over time and that any statutory change should allow time to transition and plans to avoid harming participants.

Schaff and other speakers distinguished between sheltered workshops, subminimum-wage placements under 14(c), and other integrated employment arrangements. She said the number of providers operating 14(c) certificates in Connecticut is much smaller than in prior years and cited the need for transition planning and job opportunities outside the 14(c) framework.

Adriana Ramirez, a council member, posted a legislative-data link in the meeting chat showing 393 individuals paid under 14(c) as of Feb. 1 across 10 providers; Ramirez shared that figure during the meeting and the council discussed the practical implications of a rapid elimination of certificates without available alternative jobs or day-program capacity.

Why it matters: Council members said abrupt eliminations could leave people without work or services; DDS staff urged phased approaches and transition planning to expand integrated employment opportunities while safeguarding current earnings and supports.

What’s next: The legislature is considering bills on 14(c); DDS said its testimony is intended to describe impacts and the need for transition planning rather than to endorse a specific approach at this time.