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 review, the Department held a series of stakeholder engagement sessions to hear diverse views from members of the public – particularly workers with disabilities – about their experience with the 14(c) program.
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 will provide additional information about the review as details become available.