29 USC 772 - Training

U.S Code last checked for updates: May 05, 2024

§ 772.

Training

(a)

Grants and contracts for personnel training

(1)

Authority

The Commissioner shall make grants to, and enter into contracts with, States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations (including institutions of higher education) to pay part of the cost of projects to provide training, traineeships, and related activities, including the provision of technical assistance, that are designed to assist in increasing the numbers of, and upgrading the skills of, qualified personnel (especially rehabilitation counselors) who are trained in providing vocational, medical, social, and psychological rehabilitation services, who are trained to assist individuals with communication and related disorders, who are trained to provide other services provided under this chapter, to individuals with disabilities, and who may include—

(A)

personnel specifically trained in providing employment assistance to individuals with disabilities through job development and job placement services;

(B)

personnel specifically trained to identify, assess, and meet the individual rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities, including needs for rehabilitation technology;

(C)

personnel specifically trained to deliver services to individuals who may benefit from receiving independent living services;

(D)

personnel specifically trained to deliver services in the client assistance programs;

(E)

personnel specifically trained to deliver supported employment services and customized employment services to individuals with the most significant disabilities;

(F)

personnel specifically trained to deliver services to individuals with disabilities pursuing self-employment, business ownership, and telecommuting;

(G)

personnel trained in performing other functions necessary to the provision of vocational, medical, social, and psychological rehabilitation services, and other services provided under this chapter; and

(H)

personnel trained in providing assistive technology services.

(2)

Authority to provide scholarships

(3)

Related Federal statutes

(4)

Training for statewide workforce systems personnel

The Commissioner may make grants to and enter into contracts under this subsection with States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education, to furnish training to personnel providing services to individuals with disabilities under subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3151 et seq.]. Under this paragraph, personnel may be trained—

(A)

in evaluative skills to determine whether an individual with a disability may be served by the State vocational rehabilitation program or another component of a statewide workforce development system; or

(B)

to assist individuals with disabilities seeking assistance through one-stop delivery systems described in section 121(e) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [28 U.S.C. 3151(e)].

(5)

Joint funding

(b)

Grants and contracts for academic degrees and academic certificate granting training projects

(1)

Authority

(A)

In general

(B)

Types of projects

Academic training projects described in this subsection may include—

(i)

projects to train personnel in the areas of assisting and supporting individuals with disabilities pursuing self-employment, business ownership, and telecommuting, and of vocational rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation technology, rehabilitation medicine, rehabilitation nursing, rehabilitation social work, rehabilitation psychiatry, rehabilitation psychology, rehabilitation dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology and audiology, physical education, therapeutic recreation, community rehabilitation programs, prosthetics and orthotics, vision rehabilitation therapy, orientation and mobility instruction, or low vision therapy;

(ii)

projects to train personnel to provide—

(I)

services to individuals with specific disabilities or individuals with disabilities who have specific impediments to rehabilitation, including individuals who are members of populations that are unserved or underserved by programs under this chapter;

(II)

job development and job placement services to individuals with disabilities;

(III)

supported employment services, including services of employment specialists for individuals with disabilities;

(IV)

specialized services for individuals with significant disabilities; or

(V)

recreation for individuals with disabilities;

(iii)

projects to train personnel in other fields contributing to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities; and

(iv)

projects to train personnel in the use, applications, and benefits of rehabilitation technology.

(2)

Application

No grant shall be awarded or contract entered into under this subsection unless the applicant has submitted to the Commissioner an application at such time, in such form, in accordance with such procedures, and including such information as the Secretary may require, including—

(A)

a description of how the designated State unit or units will participate in the project to be funded under the grant or contract, including, as appropriate, participation on advisory committees, as practicum sites, in curriculum development, and in other ways so as to build closer relationships between the applicant and the designated State unit and to encourage students to pursue careers in public vocational rehabilitation programs;

(B)

the identification of potential employers that provide employment that meets the requirements of paragraph (5)(A)(i); and

(C)

an assurance that data on the employment of graduates or trainees who participate in the project is accurate.

(3)

Limitation

(A)

In general

(B)

Exception

(4)

Authority to provide scholarships

(5)

Agreements

(A)

Contents

A recipient of a grant or contract under this subsection shall provide assurances to the Commissioner that each individual who receives a scholarship, for any academic year beginning after June 1, 1992, utilizing funds provided under such grant or contract shall enter into an agreement with the recipient under which the individual shall—

(i)

maintain employment—

(I)

in a nonprofit rehabilitation agency or related agency or in a State rehabilitation agency or related agency, including a professional corporation or professional practice group through which the individual has a service arrangement with the designated State agency;

(II)

on a full- or part-time basis; and

(III)

for a period of not less than the full-time equivalent of 2 years for each year for which assistance under this section was received by the individual,

within a period, beginning after the recipient completes the training for which the scholarship was awarded, of not more than the sum of the number of years in the period described in subclause (III) and 2 additional years; and

(ii)

repay all or part of any scholarship received, plus interest, if the individual does not fulfill the requirements of clause (i),

except as the Commissioner by regulation may provide for repayment exceptions and deferrals.

(B)

Enforcement

(c)

Grants to historically Black colleges and universities

(d)

Application

(e)

Evaluation and collection of data

(f)

Grants for the training of interpreters

(1)

Authority

(A)

In general

For the purpose of training a sufficient number of qualified interpreters to meet the communications needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and individuals who are deaf-blind, the Commissioner, acting through a Federal office responsible for deafness and communicative disorders, may award grants to public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations to pay part of the costs—

(i)

for the establishment of interpreter training programs; or

(ii)

to enable such agencies or organizations to provide financial assistance for ongoing interpreter training programs.

(B)

Geographic areas

(C)

Priority

(D)

Funding

The Commissioner may award grants under this subsection through the use of—

(i)

amounts appropriated to carry out this section; or

(ii)

pursuant to an agreement with the Director of the Office of the Special Education Program (established under section 1402 of title 20), amounts appropriated under section 1486 of title 20.

(2)

Application

A grant may not be awarded to an agency or organization under paragraph (1) unless the agency or organization has submitted an application to the Commissioner at such time, in such form, in accordance with such procedures, and containing such information as the Commissioner may require, including—

(A)

a description of the manner in which an interpreter training program will be developed and operated during the 5-year period following the date on which a grant is received by the applicant under this subsection;

(B)

a demonstration of the applicant’s capacity or potential for providing training for interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and individuals who are deaf-blind;

(C)

assurances that any interpreter trained or retrained under a program funded under the grant will meet such minimum standards of competency as the Commissioner may establish for purposes of this subsection; and

(D)

such other information as the Commissioner may require.

(g)

Technical assistance

(1)

Technical assistance

(2)

Compensation

(h)

Provision of information

(i)

Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 93–112, title III, § 302, as added Pub. L. 105–220, title IV, § 406, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1184; amended Pub. L. 108–446, title III, § 305(h)(4), Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2805; Pub. L. 113–128, title IV, § 441(b), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1672.)

cite as: 29 USC 772