On September 26, 2023, Acting Secretary Julie Su announced that the Department of Labor would conduct a comprehensive review of the Section 14(c) program, which authorizes employers, after receiving a certificate from the Wage and Hour Division, to pay subminimum wages to workers whose disabilities impact their productivity for the specific work performed.
As part of this effort, the Department has held stakeholder engagement sessions with other agencies, organizations, advocates, families, workers with disabilities, and service providers to listen to their experiences with section 14(c). The goal was to gain insight on important areas of focus for reviewing the 14(c) program, experiences with options for competitive integrated employment (CIE), lessons from states that have expanded CIE and/or prohibited subminimum wages, impacts of potentially ceasing to issue 14(c) certificates in the future, and any related issues. Input gathered will help inform the Department's efforts on this important issue going forward.
The Department’s release of its Fall 2023 Regulatory Agenda includes the Wage and Hour Division’s plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on section 14(c) in September 2024. This rulemaking will be another opportunity for input from stakeholders that will help inform the Department’s future efforts.
The Department will provide additional information as details become available.