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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>House Votes To End Subminimum Wage<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>by Michelle Diament | July 19, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'><img width=668 height=418 style='width:6.9583in;height:4.3541in' id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D53E27.5BDFD4E0" alt="U.S. Capitol"></span><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:3.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:18.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:16.3pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#B3B3B3'>The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill known as the Raise the Wage Act, which would phase out subminimum wage for people with disabilities. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>For the first time, federal lawmakers have approved legislation that would end a practice allowing employers to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>The U.S. House of Representatives voted 231 to 199 Thursday to pass the Raise the Wage Act, a bill chiefly designed to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>Tucked inside the legislation, however, is a provision that would phase out subminimum wage for workers with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#797979'>Advertisement - Continue Reading Below<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>Employers are currently able to obtain so-called 14(c) certificates from the Department of Labor allowing them to pay workers with disabilities less than minimum wage under a federal law dating back to the 1930s. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>The measure approved this week would require the Labor Department to stop issuing new 14(c) certificates and it would increase the minimum wage for workers employed under existing certificates gradually over the course of six years. At that point, any remaining 14(c) certificates would be invalid and employees with disabilities would need to be paid at least the prevailing federal minimum wage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>The House action marks the first time that either the House or Senate has voted to end subminimum wage, advocates said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>“We’re thrilled by the inclusion of phasing out 14(c) in the bill. Everyone deserves a fair wage for their work,” said Julia Bascom, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. “Disability rights are workers rights, and it’s encouraging to see that recognized in this bill.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>Efforts to outlaw 14(c) certificates have gained steam in recent years. In addition to federal proposals, a handful of <a href="https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2019/07/08/momentum-growing-end-subminimum-wage/26859/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#00A3DA;text-decoration:none'>cities and states</span></a> from New Hampshire to Alaska have approved their own restrictions on paying less than minimum wage to people with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>But, many families have opposed such legislation arguing that subminimum wage employment gives people with more severe disabilities who may not be able to succeed in typical jobs a sense of purpose and an opportunity to contribute.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>Prospects for the Raise the Wage Act remain uncertain in the GOP-controlled Senate, with Republicans calling the legislation a job-killing bill.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>Nonetheless, advocates who favor doing away with subminimum wage said they hope the vote this week will help propel <a href="https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2019/02/05/lawmakers-end-subminimum/25989/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#00A3DA;text-decoration:none'>another bill</span></a> proposed in Congress that also seeks to phase out 14(c) certificates.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:18.75pt;line-height:18.6pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'>“We hope that the passage of the Raise the Wage Act by the House will give some momentum to the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, which not only would phase out subminimum wages but, equally as important, would provide funding to help states and providers increase capacity for competitive integrated employment,” said Alison Barkoff, director of advocacy at the Center for Public Representation.</span><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>