Prohibition on the Payment of Subminimum Wages Under 14(c) Certificates as a Qualification for Participation as a Nonprofit Agency Under the Javits Wagner O'Day Act

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, operating as the U.S. AbilityOne Commission ("Commission"), is publishing a final rule implementing a new requirement that a nonprofit agency (NPA) seeking both initial and continuing qualification under the Javits Wagner O'Day Act (JWOD Act) to participate in the AbilityOne Program must certify that it will not use certificates authorized under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ("14(c) certificates") to pay employees on its AbilityOne contracts. Pursuant to the rule, individuals with significant disabilities and those who are blind employed by participating NPAs, and working on AbilityOne contracts, will earn at least the Federal minimum wage, the applicable local or state minimum wage if higher than the Federal minimum wage, or the applicable prevailing wage for contracts subject to the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act, whichever is highest.