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House Education and Labor hearing at Green Valley spotlights debate over Section 14(c) and employment choice for people with disabilities
Summary
Lawmakers and witnesses at a field hearing in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, clashed over Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act: advocates said 14(c) preserves jobs and community for people with disabilities, while researchers said the certificate enables subminimum wages and can impede transitions to competitive employment.
Members of the House Committee on Education and Labor held a field hearing at Green Valley Enterprises in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, to examine Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act and competing views about its role in employment for people with disabilities.
Representative Glenn opened the hearing by saying the purpose was to see “what’s going on in the real world” and hear whether removing 14(c) would close local facilities and displace workers. He introduced four witnesses and said each would have five minutes to give prepared remarks.
Barbara LeDuc, introduced in the transcript as the president and CEO of the facility operator, told the committee that community rehabilitation programs (CRPs) that operate under 14(c) both provide jobs and backstop attempts at competitive integrated employment (CIE). “Preserving choice is not a step backward,” LeDuc said, arguing that CRPs provide “rehabilitation services, training, skill development, social engagement” and that stripping…
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