As part of its work with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), ANCOR has signed onto a letter opposing efforts by the Department of Education to reopen the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Previously, ANCOR weighed in significantly to the development of the WIOA regulations and also testified several times before WIOA’s Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities.
Addressed to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the letter states:
“Of particular concern to the undersigned was the recent notification in the Secretary’s Unified Agenda that the Secretary intends, or at least is considering, to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the regulatory definition in the WIOA implementing regulations, 34 CFR part 361. Our organizations strongly oppose any effort by the Department to reopen the WIOA regulations and urge the Secretary to reconsider.
The undersigned wish to state unequivocally that opening the WIOA regulations will undermine implementation of WIOA, which establishes competitive integrated employment as a clear national priority and built on the goal of economic self-sufficiency established in the bipartisan Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Department’s WIOA regulations not only reflect this important Congressional intent, but they also codify long-standing Department of Education policy. Opening the regulations is unnecessary. Any concerns that the Department may have, or misinformation existing in the field, can be addressed most effectively though sub-regulatory guidance. The undersigned groups stand ready to engage in thoughtful dialogue with you and your staff about how to best craft such guidance.”
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