Rehabilitation Act: Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Dec. 30, 2014 |
| Report Number |
R43855 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Benjamin Collins, Analyst in Labor Policy |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
The federal government is authorized to make grants to state agencies for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. These grants support services to help individuals with disabilities prepare for and engage in employment. VR state grants are administered at the federal level by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in the Department of Education (ED).
The VR state grants program is authorized by Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The Rehabilitation Act was amended and the VR state grants program was reauthorized in July 2014 by Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA; P.L. 113-128). WIOA reauthorized a group of workforce programs, most of which were last authorized by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220). Title IV of WIOA authorizes appropriations for VR state grants through FY2020 and amends the Rehabilitation Act to make a number of changes to the VR state grants program. This report will discuss the VR state grants program as amended by WIOA.
Funding for VR state grants is mandatory funding. Statute requires that each year's appropriation must equal the prior year's appropriation plus an increase equal to inflation. In FY2015, funding for VR state grants was approximately $3 billion.
VR funds are allotted to state VR agencies via formula. Each state is required to match a portion of its federal grant. If a grantee does not provide its full match, the unmatched funds are made available to other states. To be eligible for a federal grant, each state much have an approved state plan. WIOA requires states to develop a unified state plan that describes how it will coordinate and align WIOA-authorized programs (including its VR program) to meet its local workforce development needs.
Individuals' eligibility for VR services is determined by state VR agencies. To be eligible for services, an individual must (1) have a disability that constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment and (2) require VR services to achieve an employment outcome. If a state is not able to serve all eligible clients, priority is given to clients with the most severe disabilities.
After an individual is determined to be eligible for VR services, the client works with VR personnel to develop an individualized plan for employment (IPE). The IPE describes the client's employment objective and how the VR agency will provide or coordinate services to achieve it. Employment objectives are determined by the client but generally must be consistent with the principle of competitive integrated employment (i.e., employment in the community, earning a wage comparable to similar workers who do not have disabilities).
Services for each client are individualized to the client's employment objective as well as the client's strengths and interests. VR services can include (but are not limited to) counseling, job search and placement assistance, training and education, and post-employment support services. States may also use their VR funds for outreach and other services to employers. Statute requires that at least 15% of each state's VR grant be allocated to pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities.
