29 U.S.C. § 777a
Section 777a · Special demonstration programs
Amended 9 times on record
Subject to the provisions of section 776 of this title, the Commissioner may make grants to States and to public or nonprofit agencies and organizations to pay part or all of the costs of special projects and demonstrations (including related research and evaluation) for—
(1) establishing programs for providing vocational rehabilitation services, which hold promise of expanding or otherwise improving rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities (especially those with the most severe disabilities), including individuals who are members of populations that are unserved or underserved by the programs under this chapter, individuals who are blind, and individuals who are deaf;
(2) applying new types or patterns of services or devices for individuals with disabilities (including programs for providing individuals with disabilities, or other individuals in programs servicing individuals with disabilities, with opportunities for new careers and career advancement);
(3) operating programs to demonstrate methods of making recreational activities fully accessible to individuals with disabilities; and
(4) operating programs to meet the special needs of isolated populations of individuals with disabilities, particularly among American Indians residing on or outside of reservations.
(1) The Commissioner may make grants to public and nonprofit agencies and organizations to pay part or all of the costs of special projects and demonstrations including research and evaluation for youths who are individuals with disabilities to provide job training and prepare them for entry into the labor force. Such projects shall be designed to demonstrate cooperative efforts between local educational agencies, business and industry, vocational rehabilitation programs, and organizations representing labor and organizations responsible for promoting or assisting in local economic development.
(2) Services under this subsection may include—
(A) jobs search assistance;
(B) on-the-job training;
(C) job development including worksite modification and use of advanced learning technology for skills training;
(D) dissemination of information on program activities to business and industry; and
(E) followup services for individuals placed in employment.
(3) The Commissioner shall assure that projects shall be coordinated with other projects assisted under section 1425 of title 20.
(1)(A) The Commissioner may make grants to public and nonprofit community rehabilitation programs, designated State units, and other public and private agencies and organizations for the cost of developing special projects and demonstrations providing supported employment, including continuation of determinations of the effectiveness of natural supports or other alternatives to providing extended employment services.
(B) Not less than one such grant shall be nationwide in scope. The grant shall (i) identify community-based models that can be replicated, (ii) identify impediments to the development of supported employment programs (including funding and cost considerations), and (iii) develop a mechanism to explore the use of existing community rehabilitation programs as well as other community-based programs.
(C) Not less than two such grants shall serve individuals who either are low-functioning and deaf or low-functioning and hard-of-hearing.
(2)(A) The Commissioner may make grants to public agencies and nonprofit private organizations for the cost of providing technical assistance to States in implementing part C of subchapter VI of this chapter.
(B) Not less than one such grant shall be nationwide in scope. Each eligible applicant must have experience in training and provision of supported employment services.
(3) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this subsection such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 1993 through 1997.
(1) The Commissioner, subject to the provisions of section 776 of this title, shall make grants in accordance with the provisions of this subsection for the purpose of developing, expanding, and disseminating model statewide transitional planning services for youths who are individuals with severe disabilities. In order to facilitate similar model transitional programs, each grantee under this subsection shall—
(A) collect data documenting the effectiveness of the project, including data on the outcome of the individuals served; and
(B) disseminate the information to other States.
(2) No grant may be made under this subsection unless an application is submitted to the Commissioner at such time, in such form, and in accordance with such procedures as the Commissioner may require.
(3)(A) A second grant authorized by this subsection shall be made to a public agency in a predominantly rural western State.
(B) Each application for a grant submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall describe model transitional planning services for both youths who are individuals with severe disabilities and other youths with disabilities designed to develop procedures, strategies, and techniques which may be replicated successfully in other rural States.
(4) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1993 through 1997.
(1) The Commissioner may make grants to public or private institutions to pay for the cost of developing special projects and demonstration projects to address the general education, counseling, vocational training, work transition, supported employment, job placement, followup, and community outreach needs of individuals who are either low-functioning and deaf or low-functioning and hard-of-hearing. Such projects shall provide educational and vocational rehabilitation services that are not otherwise available in the region involved and shall maximize the potential of such individuals, including individuals who are deaf and have additional severe disabilities.
(2) The Commissioner shall monitor the activities of the recipients of grants under this subsection to ensure that the recipients carry out the projects in accordance with paragraph (1), that the recipients coordinate the projects as described in paragraph (3), and that information about innovative methods of service delivery developed by such projects is disseminated.
(3) The Commissioner shall prepare and submit an annual report to Congress that includes an assessment of the manner in which the recipients carrying out the projects coordinate the projects with projects carried out by other public or nonprofit agencies serving individuals who are deaf, to expand or improve services for such individuals.
(1) Consistent with paragraph (2), and consistent with the general authority set forth in this section to fund special demonstration programs, projects, and activities, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the Commissioner from exercising authority under this subchapter, or making available funds appropriated to carry out this subchapter, to fund programs, projects, and activities described in section 797a of this title.
(2) If the amount of funds appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out this section exceeds the amount of funds appropriated for the preceding fiscal year to carry out this section, adjusted by the percent by which the average of the estimated gross domestic product fixed-weight price index for that fiscal year differs from that estimated index for the preceding fiscal year, the amount of the excess shall be treated as if the excess were appropriated under subchapter VIII of this chapter.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Amendments
1995—Subsec. (c)(3), (4). Pub. L. 104–66 redesignated par. (4) as (3) and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows:
“(3)(A) On June 1 of each year, the Commissioner shall submit a report to the Congress on activities assisted under paragraph (1) for the preceding fiscal year which includes—
“(i) a list of the grants awarded under this subsection;
“(ii) the number of individuals with severe disabilities served by each grant recipient, the average cost to provide support services to each such individual, and the average wage paid to each such individual; and
“(iii) the recommendations of the projects under paragraph (1)(B).
“(B) Each such report shall also include activities assisted under paragraph (2) for the preceding fiscal year, including (i) a list of the grants awarded under paragraph (2), (ii) the nature of technical assistance activities undertaken, and (iii) recommended areas where additional technical assistance is necessary.”
1993—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 103–73, §110(c)(1), substituted semicolon for comma at end.
Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 103–73, §110(c)(2), inserted “and” before “(iii)”.
1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–569, §308(a), in par. (1) struck out “and, where appropriate, constructing facilities” after “establishing programs” and substituted “individuals who are members of populations that are unserved or underserved by the programs under this chapter, individuals who are blind, and individuals who are deaf,” for “blind or deaf individuals, irrespective of age or vocational potential, who can benefit from comprehensive services;”, in par. (2) substituted “new careers and career advancement);” for “new careers);”, in par. (3) struck out “and, where appropriate, renovating and constructing facilities” after “operating programs”, and struck out concluding provisions which read as follows: “The Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research may make grants to States and to public or nonprofit agencies and organizations to pay part or all of the costs of special projects and demonstrations for spinal cord injuries.”
Pub. L. 102–569, §102(p)(21)(A), substituted “disabilities” for “handicaps” wherever appearing in pars. (1) to (4).
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–569, §308(b), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which related to qualifications for any project or demonstration assisted by a grant which provides services to individuals with spinal cord injuries.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–569, §308(c)(3), in par. (4) substituted “such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 1993 through 1997” for “$9,000,000 for fiscal year 1987, $9,520,000 for fiscal year 1988, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1989, $10,690,000 for fiscal year 1990, $11,128,000 for fiscal year 1991, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1992”.
Pub. L. 102–569, §308(c)(2), substituted “June 1 of each year” for “June 1, 1988, and on each subsequent June 1” in introductory provisions of par. (3)(A).
Pub. L. 102–569, §308(c)(1), in par. (1), substituted “community rehabilitation programs” for “rehabilitation facilities” and inserted before period “, including continuation of determinations of the effectiveness of natural supports or other alternatives to providing extended employment services” in subpar. (A), struck out “and” before “(iii)” and substituted “community rehabilitation programs” for “community-based rehabilitation facilities” in subpar. (B), and added subpar. (C).
Pub. L. 102–569, §308(b), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (e).
Pub. L. 102–569, §102(p)(21)(B), substituted “youths who are individuals with disabilities” for “youths with handicaps” in par. (1).
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102–569, §308(d)(2), (4), redesignated par. (5) as (4) and substituted “such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1993 through 1997” for “$450,000 for fiscal year 1987, $475,830 for fiscal year 1988, $504,427 for fiscal year 1989, $535,550 for fiscal year 1990, $557,000 for fiscal year 1991, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1992 to carry out the provisions of this subsection”.
Pub. L. 102–569, §308(d)(3), in par. (3)(A) struck out cl. (i) designation and cl. (ii) which read as follows: “A third grant authorized by this subsection shall be made to a public agency or nonprofit private organization in a predominantly rural southwestern State.”
Pub. L. 102–569, §308(d)(1), (2), redesignated par. (4) as (3) and struck out former par. (3) which authorized one grant to be made to a public agency in a predominantly urban State in New England for an existing model statewide transitional planning services program.
Pub. L. 102–569, §308(b), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (c).
Pub. L. 102–569, §102(p)(21)(C), substituted “disabilities” for “handicaps” in par. (3)(A)(ii).
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–569, §308(e), added subsec. (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (d).
Pub. L. 102–569, §102(p)(21)(D)(ii), substituted “youths who are individuals with severe disabilities and other youths with disabilities” for “youths with severe handicaps and youths with mild handicaps” in par. (4)(B).
Pub. L. 102–569, §102(p)(21)(D)(i), substituted “who are individuals with severe disabilities” for “with severe handicaps” in par. (1).
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 102–569, §308(f), added subsec. (f).
1991—Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 102–119 substituted reference to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for reference to the Education of the Handicapped Act in the original, which for purposes of codification was translated as section 1425 of title 20, thus requiring no change in text.
Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 102–52, §4(e)(2)(A), substituted “fiscal year” for “the fiscal year” before “1987”, “1988”, “1989”, “1990”, and “1991”, struck out “and” after “1990,”, and inserted “, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1992” after “1991”.
Subsec. (e)(5). Pub. L. 102–52, §4(e)(2)(B), struck out “and” after “1990,” and inserted “, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1992” after “1991”.
1988—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 100–630, §204(g)(1), substituted “youths with handicaps” for “handicapped youths”.
Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 100–630, §204(g)(2), substituted “youths with severe handicaps” for “severely handicapped youths” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (e)(3)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 100–630, §204(g)(3), which directed the substitution of “families, will” for “families.” was executed by making the substitution for “families,” as the probable intent of Congress.
Subsec. (e)(3)(B)(iv). Pub. L. 100–630, §204(g)(4), substituted “individual with handicaps” for “handicapped individual” and “agency designated” for “agency designed”.
Subsec. (e)(4)(B). Pub. L. 100–630, §204(g)(5), substituted “both youths with severe handicaps and youths with mild handicaps” for “both severely and mildly handicapped youth”.
1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–506, §302(b), substituted “National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research” for “National Institute of Handicapped Research” in concluding provisions.
Subsec. (a)(1) to (3). Pub. L. 99–506, §103(d)(2)(C), substituted “individuals with handicaps” for “handicapped individuals” wherever appearing.
Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 99–506, §406(a), added par. (4).
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–506, §302(b), substituted “National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research” for “National Institute of Handicapped Research” in concluding provisions.
Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 99–506, §406(b), added subsecs. (d) and (e).
1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–221, §136(a), struck out “individuals with spinal cord injuries and” after “including” in par. (1) and inserted after par. (3) a provision authorizing the Director of the National Institute of Handicapped Research to make grants to States and to public or nonprofit agencies and organizations to pay part or all of the costs of special projects and demonstrations for spinal cord injuries.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–221, §136(b), inserted provision directing the Director of the National Institute of Handicapped Research to coordinate with the Commissioner each grant made under this subsection.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98–221, §136(c), added subsec. (c).