[Nfbv-announce] Transformation to Competitive Employment Act: building cosponsors

[Sarah Patnaude]

Hello all,




As mentioned in the legislative report at Saturday’s board meeting,


the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a full committee


hearing on the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, H.R. 873,


tomorrow May 21. We were going to have a legislative Day of Action


today to build more cosponsors for this bill. However, given the short


notice, we are going to ask for a day of action on June 3, when


Congress is back in session. We will send out areminder and sample


email the day before. If you are still able to call your House


representatives today before tomorrow’s hearing, please do. Chairman


Bobby Scott from Virginia is the bill champion in the House, along


with Washington Representative Cathy McMorris-Rogers. You can contact


your representative by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202)


224-3121 and asking for your member’s office. If you’d like to send an


email, here is a sample email you can use:




“My name is [name] and I am a constituent of Representative [name]. I


am calling to encourage the Representative to cosponsor the


Transformation to Competitive Employment Act (H.R. 873). The


Transformation to Competitive Employment Act provides a thoughtful


approach to phasing out Section 14(c) subminimum wage certificates


over a six-year period while providing the funding, supports and


training necessary to change the infrastructure of outdated business


models. This “capacity-building” component of the bill is what


distinguishes it from other bills that have attempted 14(c) phase-outs


and is a responsible approach to ending the discriminatory payment of


subminimum wage while helping businesses transform to competitive


integrated employment settings. This bill aligns with the Workforce


Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), which prioritizes competitive


integrated employment for people with disabilities and significantly


limits the use of subminimum wages, and with the recommendations of


the WIOA Advisory Committee, which recommended a thoughtful phase-out


of 14(c) together with a systematic approach to expand capacity for


competitive integrated employment, particularly for people


transitioning out of sheltered workshops.


Thank you for your support of blind Americans.


Sincerely,


[Your Name]”




Please CC Kimie Eacobacci, Government Affairs Specialist at the


National Center, on any emails you send to your representatives at


keacobacci at nfb.org.




Currently, there are thirty-seven co-sponsors on the TCE Act.




Thank you.




Deepa Goraya


Co-Legislative Director


National Federation of the Blind of Virginia










Sarah Patnaude


Corresponding Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia


patnaude.sarah at yahoo.com


(804) 591-6153


www.nfb.org


www.nfbv.org


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The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.