2022-05974.pdf

15970 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 54 / Monday, March 21, 2022 / Notices

TIME AND DATE: 9:00 a.m., April 6, 2022.

PLACE: On board MISSISSIPPI V at Greenville City Front, Greenville, Mississippi.

STATUS: Open to the public.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: (1)

Summary report by President of the Commission on national and regional issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries; (2) District Commander’s overview of current project issues within the Vicksburg District; and (3) Presentations by local organizations and members of the public giving views or comments on any issue affecting the programs or projects of the Commission and the Corps of Engineers.

TIME AND DATE: 9:00 a.m., April 8, 2022.

PLACE: On board MISSISSIPPI V at City Front, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

STATUS: Open to the public.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: (1)

Summary report by President of the Commission on national and regional issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries; (2) District Commander’s overview of current project issues within the Vicksburg District; and (3) Presentations by local organizations and members of the public giving views or comments on any issue affecting the programs or projects of the Commission and the Corps of Engineers.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Mr. Charles A. Camillo, telephone 601– 634–7023.

Diana M. Holland, Major General, USA, President, Mississippi River Commission.

[FR Doc. 2022–06002 Filed 3–17–22; 4:15 pm]

BILLING CODE 3720–58–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards;

Disability Innovation Fund— Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment Innovative Model Demonstration Project

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the Disability Innovation Fund—Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) Innovative Model Demonstration Project, Assistance Listing Number 84.421D. The Department intends to fund multiple innovative model demonstration projects to assist individuals with disabilities currently employed in, or contemplating, subminimum wage employment (i.e., SWTCIE program participants) to engage with State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies so they may obtain competitive integrated employment (CIE). The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) recognizes that models to obtain CIE are needed for students and youth with disabilities seeking subminimum wage employment and individuals with disabilities who are employed or contemplating employment at subminimum wage by entities holding special wage certificates (employers or entities holding 14(c) certificates) under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) (‘‘under section 14(c) certificates’’). This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820–0018.

DATES:

Applications Available: March 21, 2022.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 21, 2022.

Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will post a PowerPoint presentation that provides general information about RSA’s discretionary grants and a PowerPoint presentation specifically about the SWTCIE Innovative Model Demonstration Project at https:// ncrtm.ed.gov/RSAGrantInfo.aspx. In addition to posting the PowerPoint, OSERS will conduct a pre-application meeting specific to this competition via conference call to respond to questions.

Information about the pre-application meeting will be available at https:// ncrtm.ed.gov/RSAGrantInfo.aspx prior to the date of the call. OSERS invites you to send questions to 84.421D@ ed.gov in advance of the pre-application meeting. The teleconference information, including a summary of the 84.421D pre-application meeting questions and answers, will be available at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/RSAGrant Info.aspx within six business days after the pre-application meeting. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 18, 2022.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary

Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979.

Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on February 13, 2019, and, in part, describe the transition from the requirement to register in SAM.gov a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to the implementation of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

More information on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at https:// www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/ docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cassandra P. Shoffler, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5065A, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–2800.

Telephone: (202) 245–7827. Email:

84.421D@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Program, as provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116–260), is to support innovative activities aimed at increasing CIE as defined in section 7 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) (29 U.S.C. 705(5)), for youth and other individuals with disabilities.

The purpose of this competition is to increase the opportunity for SWTCIE program participants—students and youth with disabilities seeking subminimum wage employment and potential VR program applicants or VR-eligible individuals with disabilities who are employed or contemplating employment at subminimum wage—to obtain CIE, defined in section 7(5) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) and in the Definitions section of this notice. To achieve this purpose, projects funded under this priority will create innovative models, for dissemination and replication, to: (1) Identify strategies for addressing challenges associated with access to CIE (e.g., transportation, support services); (2) provide integrated services that support CIE; (3) support integration into the community through CIE; (4) identify and coordinate wraparound services for any individual served by the project who obtains CIE;

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15971 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 54 / Monday, March 21, 2022 / Notices

1 ‘‘Supported employment,’’ as defined at section 7(38) of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 705(38)) and 34 CFR 361.5(c)(53), means competitive integrated employment, including customized employment, or employment in an integrated setting in which an individual with a most significant disability is working on a short-term basis toward competitive integrated employment.

As such, ‘‘supported employment’’ constitutes an ‘‘employment outcome’’ under the VR program, as that term is defined at section 7(11) of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 705(11)) and 34 CFR 361.5(c)(15).

(5) develop evidence-based practices and share those practices with other entities holding 14(c) certificates, State VR agencies, local rehabilitation providers, State and local workforce agencies and regional and local employers; and (6) provide entities holding section 14(c) certificates with readily accessible transformative business models for adoption.

Priorities: This competition contains one absolute priority. We are establishing the absolute priority for the FY 2022 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).

Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Subminimum Wage to Competitive

Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) Innovative Model Demonstration Project.

Background:

Since the establishment of the Federal minimum wage in 1938, a special minimum wage has existed for individuals with disabilities. This provision allows employers holding a section 14(c) certificate from the U.S.

Department of Labor (DOL) to pay individuals with disabilities less than the Federal minimum wage that is generally mandated for all other workers. DOL, Wage and Hour Division, 14(c) certificate holder reports indicate that as of October 1, 2021, there were 531 entities that have pending 14(c) certificates, which do not yet provide subminimum employment, and 667 entities that hold 14(c) certificates with 39,840 individuals with disabilities employed under the 14(c) certificates earning a subminimum wage (U.S.

Department of Labor, 2022).

As data have shown substantial disparity in the wages that these individuals receive, the need for policy and programming to help identify strategies to expand opportunities for individuals with disabilities employed at subminimum wage is critical. Recent Federal, State, and local legislation and policy development have focused on maximizing opportunities for individuals with disabilities to earn competitive wages in non-segregated settings, thereby enhancing the social and economic inclusion and empowerment of individuals with disabilities. In some cases, State legislation and policies emphasize eliminating subminimum wage or terminating the use of subminimum wage for individuals with disabilities over a period of time. Changes in expectations about community integration and employment for individuals with disabilities render subminimum wage employment an outdated model.

Several States, including Alaska, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado, California, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Vermont, have passed or are in the process of implementing legislation to abolish the payment of subminimum wages to individuals with disabilities.

In addition, some cities, such as Seattle, Washington; Reno, Nevada; Chicago, Illinois; and Denver, Colorado, have such bans in place.

While passing legislation and enacting policies to eliminate subminimum wage employment has been effective at the State and local level, there is a need for an innovative focus on eliminating subminimum wage employment that also expands opportunities for individuals with disabilities to obtain CIE. Projects that utilize innovative approaches, such as those identified within this notice, have the potential to prevent the payment of a subminimum wage to and improve the employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities and build the body of evidence towards achieving this policy goal.

The Rehabilitation Act, as amended by title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), defines CIE in general as full-time or part-time work: (1) In which the individual with a disability is paid at or above the Federal minimum wage; (2) at a location where the individual with a disability interacts with individuals without disabilities to the same extent that individuals without disabilities in comparable positions interact with others who are not disabled; and (3) that presents opportunities for advancement that are similar to those provided to individuals without disabilities. In this notice, the Department uses the definition of CIE from 34 CFR 361.5(c)(9) established for purposes of the VR program, which defines CIE as work that is, among other things, performed in a location: (1) That is typically found in the community; and

(2) in which the individual with a disability interacts for the purpose of performing the duties of the position with other employees within the particular work unit and the entire work site, and, as appropriate to the work performed, other persons (e.g., customers and vendors), who are not individuals with disabilities (not including supervisory personnel or individuals who are providing services to such employee) to the same extent that employees who are not individuals with disabilities and who are in comparable positions interact with these persons. See the Definitions section of this notice.

The purpose of the VR program is to assist individuals with disabilities who choose to seek CIE, including supported employment 1 and customized employment, which constitute ‘‘employment outcomes’’ under the VR program as defined in section 7(11) of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C.

705(11) and 34 CFR 361.5(c)(15)). An individual with a disability who chooses to pursue non-competitive and/ or non-integrated employment is not eligible for services under the VR program because the individual would not be choosing to achieve an ‘‘employment outcome.’’ To the extent an individual with a disability, or their representative as appropriate, chooses to pursue work that is outside the scope of the VR program, VR agency personnel play a critical role in making the proper referrals to other community resources, as required under 34 CFR 361.37(b).

The VR program expands opportunities for individuals with disabilities to obtain high-quality CIE that leads to economic security and is a key resource in furthering the full equality and integration of individuals with disabilities in American society by examining potential employment opportunities, and by training and preparing individuals with disabilities for those opportunities that lead to an employment outcome.

In furthering its mission to assist individuals with disabilities to obtain CIE, the VR program works with employers of all types, including those offering non-traditional, flexible, and freelance opportunities. The program assists and encourages employers to fully include individuals with disabilities in their workforce by creating employment opportunities that meet all criteria in the definition of CIE, including the criterion for an integrated employment location.

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15972 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 54 / Monday, March 21, 2022 / Notices

2 See References for link to RSA–FAQ 22–02.

To be considered CIE for purposes of both DIF and the VR program, a job position must satisfy all three criteria related to wages/benefits, integration, and opportunities for advancement (section 7(5) of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 705(5)), 34 CFR 361.5(c)(9), and the Definitions section of this notice). Please refer to RSA–FAQ 22–02, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) pertaining to Criterion for an Integrated Employment Location in the Definition of ‘‘Competitive Integrated Employment’’ and Participant Choice that was issued by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (2021).2 Although the FAQs pertain specifically to CIE and the VR program, they provide critical information, including clarification on the criterion for an integrated employment location in the definition, that would be applicable to the definition for purposes of the DIF program.

Priority:

The purpose of this priority is to fund model demonstration projects designed to develop, implement, refine, evaluate, and disseminate, for easy adoption, new or substantially improved model strategies or programs to transition SWTCIE program participants to CIE in any one of six topic areas.

Topic Areas:

Within this absolute priority, the

Secretary intends to support innovative model demonstration projects under the following topic areas: (1) Essential Workers; (2) Green Job Workers; (3) Home and Community-Based Service Workers; (4) Arts; (5) Transportation Industry and related Industry Workers;

and (6) Field Initiated. If an applicant intends to address multiple topic areas, the applicant must combine the topic areas in one application and submit it under topic area 6, Field Initiated. For example, an applicant could apply under topic area 6 with a proposed project that combines topic area 1 with any of topic areas 2–5. Multiple applications from a single applicant will not be accepted.

Note: The numbering of the topic areas does not reflect an established hierarchy or preference among the topic areas.

Topic Area 1: Essential Workers.

Essential workers are needed nationwide as the economy responds to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID–19).

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified essential workers as those individuals who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continue critical infrastructure operations (Hultin, 2021).

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) created guidance, and developed a sector-specific list, to assist in the identification of essential workers (2021).

Potential SWTCIE program participants may already be classified as essential workers but work in non-integrated settings or enclaves. These individuals may have the skills, abilities, and interest in transferring to job positions as essential workers in

CIE.

A project in this area will identify and implement innovative strategies to assist SWTCIE program participants to secure CIE as essential workers.

Topic Area 2—Green Job Workers.

Workers will be needed for green jobs to help the United States reach its goal of no longer generating greenhouse gas pollution by 2035 (U.S. Department of Labor, 2021). The percentage of total employment associated with green goods and services has increased in the United States over the years, presenting employment opportunities in related emerging fields (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Innovative inclusion practices would provide green job opportunities for individuals with disabilities, which in turn would also improve the outlook in this growing sector.

Green jobs may include solar panel installation and maintenance; energy efficient HVAC installation; removal of excess undergrowth from forests at risk of forest fires; operation of businesses such as electric vehicle businesses, wind and water electricity businesses, and hydroponic gardening facilities; and many other emerging areas that may assist in combating climate change.

A project in this area will identify and implement innovative strategies to assist SWTCIE program participants to secure CIE as green job workers.

Topic Area 3—Home and Community-Based Service Workers.

With the aging of the Nation’s population and the need for independent living for people with disabilities leading to increased demand for Home and Community Based services (HCBS), the United States faces an impending crisis in the supply of direct support workers. This increased demand for HCBS opens the door to various employment opportunities.

Some individuals with significant disabilities and older adults who need personal services may use or employ individuals with disabilities to provide the needed personal services. This arrangement could provide a mutually beneficial relationship between the individual with a disability needing services, and the individual with a disability providing the services.

A project in this area will identify and implement innovative strategies to assist SWTCIE program participants to secure CIE as home and community-based service workers for individuals with disabilities, the aging population, or both.

Topic Area 4—Arts.

The National Endowment for the Arts, New Report Released on the Economic Impact of the Arts and Cultural Sector (2021), indicated that the arts have been significantly and negatively impacted by COVID–19. As a major employment sector, the arts are an essential part of building back our Nation’s culture and our ability to enjoy being with others in public spaces. To rebuild the arts, individuals with disabilities should have CIE opportunities within every arts venue and activity. The arts and culture industry shapes culture and cultural expectations. Individuals with disabilities and their advocates have historically promoted representation of individuals with disabilities within the arts and culture industry.

The arts employ individuals in many settings and positions, such as performing artists (e.g., actors, musicians, singers, dancers), visual artists (e.g., painters, sculptors, jewelers, woodworkers), set designers, construction workers, costume designers, lighting crew, ticket takers, cleaners, librarians, advertisers, translators, and managers and staff at all types of arts venues, and many other jobs. These positions are carried out in communities of all sizes across the Nation.

A project in this area will identify and implement innovative strategies to assist SWTCIE program participants to secure CIE in the arts, thereby advancing meaningful access to and inclusion in one or more of these three primary areas pertaining to the arts: (1) Education and Careers, (2) Community Health/ Wellness, and (3) Cultural Spaces.

(1) Education and Careers: Build a bridge to employment opportunities in the arts that include education and training, including postsecondary education opportunities, for SWTCIE program participants in all genres of arts-based careers. This includes reaching students in arts high schools and in arts programs, reaching students who do not have access to arts curricula, and facilitating exposure to work-based learning experiences in the arts.

(2) Community Health/Wellness:

Foster inclusion in community life and promote resilience and social

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15973 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 54 / Monday, March 21, 2022 / Notices engagement through CIE in the arts for SWTCIE program participants.

(3) Cultural Spaces: Create access to cultural spaces that provide STWCIE program participants with CIE opportunities in the arts (for example, in theaters and performing arts venues; art, history, and children’s museums;

outdoor exhibit spaces such as parks, zoos, arboretums, aquariums, and recreational spaces), thereby leading to increased engagement between individuals with and without disabilities, more diversity within the arts, and empowerment for STWCIE program participants in the arts.

Topic Area 5—Transportation Industry and Related Industry Workers.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (2022), ‘‘transportation industry’’ refers to the for-hire transportation and warehousing sector, including but not limited to air, rail, water, and truck transportation.

‘‘Transportation-related industries’’ refers to industries outside the for-hire transportation and warehousing sector, for example motor vehicle parts manufacturing and positions within Federal and State Departments of Transportation.

A project in this area will identify and implement innovative strategies to assist SWTCIE program participants to secure CIE as a worker within the transportation industry or transportation-related industries. A project in this topic area may align with the transportation aspects of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021).

Topic Area 6—Field Initiated.

Field initiated projects will identify and implement innovative strategies that assist SWTCIE program participants to secure CIE. A field initiated project may (1) address innovative topic areas not otherwise included in this notice, or

(2) combine two or more topic areas described in this notice into one application.

Requirements:

The following requirements are established for the FY 2022 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA.

Program and Project Application Requirements:

Under this priority, the model demonstration project must, at a minimum, meet the following program requirements. Applicants must describe, in a narrative section of the application, how the proposed project will meet these requirements.

(a) Develop, pilot, refine, and implement a collaborative model, representative of the partnerships with key staff in State VR agencies and partner programs; employers; local educational agencies (LEAs); State educational agencies (SEAs);

community rehabilitation providers (CRPs); organizations and associations of, or representing, individuals with disabilities, students and youth with disabilities, parents, family members, guardians, and advocates, that can be used by State VR agencies and local VR providers to assist SWTCIE program participants.

(1) Develop the project.

(i) Develop a collaborative model to assist SWTCIE program participants during the first year of the project.

(ii) Identify and collaborate with partners and stakeholders that have experience serving populations that are diverse with respect to, for example, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, culture, language, disability status, and gender.

(iii) Establish partnerships with State VR agencies; individuals with disabilities; community-based services and CRPs; appropriate employers, particularly employers representing the selected topic area(s); and other agencies and entities that are critical to the development and implementation of this project. These agencies and entities may include SEAs, LEAs, institutions of higher education, 14(c) certificate holders, workforce providers, support service providers, and on-the-job and customized training providers.

(iv) Develop a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with each partner that describes the specific roles and responsibilities. The MOU(s) with the described partners must be submitted to the Department prior to piloting the proposed project and revised, as necessary, when implementing the project.

(v) Serve diverse geographic regions, such as urban, suburban, rural, and Tribal communities, as applicable.

(vi) Identify and collaborate with a workgroup or committee that consists of the partnership with key staff in State VR agencies and partner programs;

employers; LEAs; SEAs; CRPs;

organizations and associations of, or representing, individuals with disabilities, students and youth with disabilities, parents, family members, guardians, advocates, other Department-funded projects, and authorized representatives as directed by RSA. The purpose of the workgroup or committee is to advise the State VR agency on project development and implementation, and to identify and operationalize partner activities that may contribute to the success of SWTCIE program participants.

(vii) Train SWTCIE program participants and assist SWTCIE program participants in obtaining required credentials related to the identified topic areas, if applicable.

(viii) Identify and describe the services and supports that will be offered to support SWTCIE program participants in promoting, accessing, achieving, and maintaining CIE in the proposed topic area.

(2) Pilot the project.

(i) Pilot the project during the second year of the project period.

(ii) The pilot must be aimed at assessing, throughout the year, the crucial components of the full-scale project, including data collection and evaluation components, to determine whether components will be conducted as planned, or need to be altered.

(3) Refine the project.

(i) Include a process of continuous improvement to ensure that project activities are reviewed against the project’s goals and objectives and refined throughout years two, three, four, and five.

(ii) Refine the project through a process for securing feedback, through various methods (e.g., in-person, phone, virtual) from SWTCIE program participants, partners, and stakeholders, to ensure continuous improvement and refinement of the project throughout years two, three, four, and five.

(4) Implement the project. The implementation of the project must include collection of baseline data prior to the start of the project activities (year 1), the project pilot (year 2), refinement (years 2–5), and data collection and assessment of feedback on the plan and its impact (e.g., strengths and challenges) on transitioning SWTCIE program participants to CIE (years 2–5).

(b) Develop a workplan, to be included with the application, that addresses the following:

(1) Collection of baseline data prior to the start of project activities (year 1), design (year 1), pilot (year 2), refinement and implementation (years 2–5), data collection (years 2–5), stakeholder feedback (years 2–5), and evaluation on the project and its impact (e.g., strengths and challenges) (years 2–

5) on assisting SWTCIE program participants;

(2) Identification of supports (e.g., transportation, financial planning) for SWTCIE program participants including the rationale for providing the supports (e.g., if a support has an evidence base of improving CIE) and how the specific supports for each SWTCIE program

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(3) In consultation with the employee and their employer, identification of efficiencies within the employment setting that will be implemented to reduce burden, such as the use of modern information and communications technology for oversight and consultation, as an alternative to in-person meetings, as appropriate, and simplification of time-intensive process requirements;

(4) Identification of how SWTCIE program participants will be provided information and support services to assist in exercising informed choice regarding CIE options, including but not limited to participation in on-the-job training, job shadowing, and internships, to ensure that opportunities are identified based on SWTCIE program participants’ choices and experiences toward achieving CIE outcomes;

(5) Identification and implementation of flexible customized employment strategies, such as flexible and alternative workplace solutions, for SWTCIE program participants, as appropriate;

(6) Development and provision of outreach and training to SWTCIE program participants and, as appropriate, their parents or guardians to address social inclusion, supported decision-making and alternatives to guardianship, fair wages and hours, skills development, safe and healthy workplaces, and supports necessary for success (e.g., transportation, financial planning);

(7) Creation of a toolkit that will contribute to the assessment of SWTCIE program participants’ ability to manage major life skills areas, and which will include a self-assessment component;

resources (e.g., agencies and organizations that assist job seekers, job boards, training programs); and other information that can guide users to replicate practices, both promising and emerging; and

(8) Creation and dissemination of project materials in a format that allows States to easily replicate effective innovative strategies. The materials must include information about the project throughout the life of the project (years 2–5), including, but not limited to, products created, reports, effective strategies, implementation challenges and strategies for avoiding or overcoming these challenges, evaluation findings, and other relevant information as directed by RSA.

(c) Develop and conduct an evaluation of the project’s performance that documents the relationship between participants’ engagement with or use of specific practices and strategies implemented by the project and key outcomes. Grantees must dedicate sufficient funds throughout the project period to cover the costs of developing, refining, and implementing the evaluation plan, as well as the costs associated with collaborating throughout the period of performance with an independent evaluator identified by RSA.

In the narrative section of the application under ‘‘Quality of the project evaluation,’’ applicants must include an evaluation plan for the project. The evaluation plan must—

(1) Identify formative and summative evaluation questions, including important process and outcome evaluation questions that align to the required project logic model.

(2) Describe how progress in and fidelity of implementation, as well as project outcomes, will be measured to answer the evaluation questions.

Specify the measures and associated instruments or sources for data appropriate to the evaluation questions.

Include information regarding reliability and validity of measures where appropriate.

(3) Describe strategies for analyzing data and how data collected as part of this project will be used to inform and refine the proposed logic model and evaluation plan, including subsequent data collection.

(4) Provide a timeline for conducting the evaluation and include staff assignments for completing the plan.

The timeline must indicate that data will be available bi-annually for the annual performance report (October 1– March 31) and end of year performance report (October 1–September 30).

(5) Collect data regarding SWTCIE program participants, including but not limited to, demographics and regional information.

(6) Collect baseline data prior to the start of the project activities and, at a minimum, analyze the following data:

(i) Number of entities holding or with pending applications for a section 14(c) certificate in the project’s State;

(ii) For SWTCIE program participants working for an entity holding a section 14(c) certificate in the project’s State at VR application:

(A) Number that are employed at subminimum wage;

(B) Number that are employed in CIE;

(C) Number that are employed in more than one job, at least one for subminimum wage and another in CIE;

(D) Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage at subminimum wage;

(E) Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in CIE;

(F) Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in a combination of subminimum wage and CIE;

(iii) For SWTCIE program participants who are youths, including students, with disabilities:

(A) Number who are contemplating subminimum wage employment at VR application;

(B) Hourly wage at VR application;

(C) Number who are diverted from subminimum wage employment to CIE by VR case closure;

(iv) For SWTCIE program participants at VR case closure, with disaggregated data for youth, including students, with disabilities:

(A) Number that are employed at subminimum wage;

(B) Number that are employed in CIE;

(C) Number that are employed in more than one job, at least one for subminimum wage and another in CIE;

(D) Number that exit subminimum wage employment but do not obtain

CIE;

(E) Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage at subminimum wage;

(F) Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in CIE;

(G) Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in a combination of subminimum wage and CIE;

(H) Data on the effectiveness of specific VR services provided to SWTCIE program participants that transition to CIE;

(I) VR services that were effective for SWTCIE program participants to transition from subminimum wage employment to CIE;

(J) Strategies that were effective for SWTCIE program participants to exit subminimum wage employment and obtain CIE;

(K) Strategies that were effective for SWTCIE program participants to transition from subminimum wage employment to a combination of subminimum wage employment and

CIE;

(L) Strategies that were effective in transitioning from a combination of subminimum wage employment and CIE to CIE only;

(M) Strategies that helped to divert from considering subminimum wage employment; and

(N) Evaluate the relationship between SWTCIE program participants’ engagement with or use of specific practices and strategies implemented by the project and key outcomes.

(7) Estimate the impact of the project on a relevant outcome.

(8) Make broadly available the results of any evaluation(s) conducted of

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(9) Ensure that data from the grantee’s evaluation are made available to third-party researchers consistent with applicable privacy requirements.

(10) Cooperate on an ongoing basis with any technical assistance provided by the Department or its contractor(s) and comply with the requirements of any evaluation of the program conducted by the Department.

General Application Requirements:

Applicants must identify the specific topic area (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) under which they are applying as part of the competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, line 4).

Specific Application Requirements:

In addition to meeting the absolute priority, the program and project application requirements, and the general application requirements, all applicants must include the following in their applications:

(a) A detailed review of the literature that supports the potential effectiveness of the proposed project, its components, and processes to assist SWTCIE program participants to transition to CIE.

(b) A description of the defined geographic area or areas to be served by the project.

(c) A logic model that communicates how the demonstration project will achieve its outcomes and provides a framework for project evaluation. The logic model must—

(1) Describe, at a minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes of the proposed model demonstration project; and

(2) Demonstrate how the proposed project components are intended to affect the project outcomes. Applicants must specifically note the proposed project activities that are supported by evidence that demonstrates a rationale and are depicted in the logic model.

(d) A description of the applicant’s workplan, methods, and criteria for implementing the project.

(e) A cohesive, articulated model of partnership and coordination among the participating VR agencies, SEAs, LEAs, non-profit organizations, employers, and SWTCIE program participants.

(f) A description of how the applicant developed the project in coordination with the partnerships between key staff in State VR agencies and partner programs; employers; LEAs; SEAs;

CRPs; organizations and associations of, or representing, individuals with disabilities, students and youth with disabilities, parents, family members, guardians, and advocates to ensure the proposed project reflects the needs of SWTCIE program participants.

(g) A description of the applicant’s plan, methods, and criteria for implementing the project, including a cohesive, articulated model of coordination and collaboration among the identified agencies and organizations.

(h) How the proposed project will—

(1) Provide project information to potential SWTCIE program participants and stakeholders, including but not limited to, current and future employers, LEAs, and local and State VR agency representatives;

(2) Identify local workforce needs that are aligned with the topic area;

(3) Involve appropriate partners (e.g., employers, support providers, LEAs) in the project design;

(4) Provide technical assistance or other resources (e.g., trainings) to partners, participants, project staff, and others as appropriate;

(5) Collaborate with participating agencies and organizations; and

(6) Develop strategies and conduct outreach activities to identify potential SWTCIE program participants.

(i) Evidence, based on a needs assessment, of—

(1) The greatest barriers to obtaining CIE for SWTCIE program participants in the topic area addressed by the project;

(2) Opportunities in the local community to support SWTCIE program participants employed at subminimum wage to obtain CIE; and

(3) Other CIE practices, service providers, and funding sources.

(j) A project design and management plan that—

(1) Addresses one or more barriers to, or opportunities for, CIE in the topic area, as identified in the local needs assessment or other data analysis; and

(2) Uses a community-based strategy (or strategies) and measurable objectives for that strategy (or strategies) that can be used to measure progress toward the goal.

(k) Documentation, such as letters of support that would be updated to MOUs prior to piloting the proposed project, that identifies the responsibilities that identifies the responsibilities of each partner in the project, including subminimum wage employers who will collaborate with the project efforts.

(l) Evidence that the applicant or one of its partners has demonstrated the capacity to improve outcomes that are relevant to the topic area through experience with programs funded through other sources.

(m) A description of who will be involved in developing and implementing the proposed activities.

(n) Information demonstrating that the proposed project is based on research, where applicable, or an existing program that has been modified to be appropriate for SWTCIE program participants.

(o) A description of whether the applicant’s proposed project activities will be sustained beyond the grant performance period, and if so, how the applicant proposes to do so.

(p) A description of how the proposed project will conduct dissemination and coordination activities to ensure accessibility to a broad range of stakeholders interested in obtaining, adapting, or replicating best practices, or models developed and implemented by the project. To address this requirement, the applicant must describe how the proposed project will broadly disseminate project findings and knowledge gained, successful strategies demonstrated under the topic area to individuals with disabilities, parents, family members, guardians, advocates, and authorized representatives, other Federal agencies, and other State and local VR agencies.

Note: All products produced by the grantees must meet government- and industry-recognized standards for accessibility, including section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

(q) A description of its approach for conducting coordination and collaboration activities. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe how it will—

(1) Establish a community of practice in the topic area that focuses on the project’s activities and acts as a vehicle for communication and exchange of information among SWTCIE program participants and other relevant stakeholders;

(2) Maintain ongoing communication with the RSA project officer and other RSA staff as required; and

(3) Communicate, collaborate, and coordinate, as appropriate, with key staff in State VR agencies and partner programs; employers; LEAs; SEAs;

CRPs; organizations and associations of, or representing, individuals with disabilities, students and youth with disabilities, parents, family members, guardians, advocates, other Department-funded projects, and authorized representatives as directed by RSA.

(r) An assurance that the grantee will participate in ongoing discussions, facilitated by the Department, with the other projects funded under this competition concerning the development of a data coordination plan that is common to all funded projects, including—

(1) Evaluation questions;

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(2) Data collection instruments;

(3) Synthesis and analysis of the data;

(4) Acceptable variations across projects for the measurement of implementation fidelity, model acceptability, and data reliability; and

(5) Collaborative efforts to disseminate information about the models. Projects must share data with the Department in the process of implementing the data coordination plan, such as the organization of data, maintaining data integrity and security, and sorting and organizing databases.

Note: In addition to common data and instrumentation, applicants may propose in the application to collect and analyze data that are not commonly collected by all projects, but that support the refinement and implementation of their model demonstration project.

(s) A description of the detailed documentation process that the applicant proposes to implement to permit model replication should the model be successful.

References

Guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforce

Hado, E., & Flinn, B. (2021, November).

Home and community-based services for older adults. AARP. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2021/ home-and-community-based-services-for-older-adults.html

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Public Law 117–58, 135 Stat. 429 (2021).

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/ PLAW-117publ58#:∼:text=An%20act %20to%20authorize%20funds,programs %2C%20and%20for%20other %20purposes.

New report released on the Economic Impact of the Arts and Cultural Sector. New Report Released on the Economic Impact of the Arts and Cultural Sector. (2021, March 30). Retrieved from https:// www.arts.gov/about/news/2021/new-report-released-economic-impact-arts-and-cultural-sector

RSA Issues FAQs related to Criterion for an Integrated Employment Location in the Definition of ‘‘Competitive Integrated Employment’’ and Participant Choice | Rehabilitation Services Administration.

(2021, October 29). Retrieved from https://rsa.ed.gov/whats-new/rsa-issues-faqs-related-criterion-integrated-employment-location-definition-competitive

Suzanne Hultin, L.K. (2021, January 11).

Covid–19: Essential Workers in the States. Retrieved from https:// www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/covid-19-essential-workers-in-the-states.aspx

U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics. (2022).

Economic Trends: Transportation Employment—Industry. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved from https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/ Transportation-Economic-Trends- Transportation-Empl/caxh-t8jd/

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013, March 19). Green Goods and services news release. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ news.release/ggqcew.htm

U.S. Department of Labor. 14(C) certificate holders. (2022, January 1). Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/ workers-with-disabilities/section-14c/ certificate-holders

U.S. Department of State and U.S. Executive Office of the President. The long-term strategy of the United States. (2021 November). Retrieved from https:// www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/ uploads/2021/10/US-Long-Term- Strategy.pdf

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:

Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, selection criteria, definitions, and requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised program authority.

This is the first grant competition for this program under the authority given in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and, therefore, qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment on the priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria will apply to the FY 2022 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications for this competition.

Definitions:

For the FY 2022 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, we establish definitions of ‘‘community of practice,’’ ‘‘competitive integrated employment,’’ ‘‘contemplating subminimum wage employment,’’ ‘‘essential workers,’’ ‘‘green jobs,’’ ‘‘home and community-based service workers,’’ ‘‘independent evaluation,’’ ‘‘individual with a disability,’’ ‘‘subminimum wage,’’ ‘‘SWTCIE program participants,’’ ‘‘transportation industries,’’ ‘‘transportation-related industries,’’ and ‘‘youth with a disability.’’ The remaining definitions are from 34 CFR

77.1. The authority for each definition is

noted following the text of the definition.

‘‘Community of practice’’ means a group of people who work together to solve a persistent problem or to improve practice in an area that is important to them and who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis.