Work incentives outreach program

The Commissioner, in consultation with the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel established under section 101(f) of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, shall establish a community-based work incentives planning and assistance program for the purpose of disseminating accurate information to disabled beneficiaries on work incentives programs and issues related to such programs. Under the program established under this section, the Commissioner shall— conduct directly, or through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts, ongoing outreach efforts to disabled beneficiaries (and to the families of such beneficiaries) who are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentive programs that are designed to assist disabled beneficiaries to work, including— establish a corps of trained, accessible, and responsive work incentives specialists within the Social Security Administration who will specialize in disability work incentives under subchapters II and XVI for the purpose of disseminating accurate information with respect to inquiries and issues relating to work incentives to— provide— The responsibilities of the Commissioner established under this section shall be coordinated with other public and private programs that provide information and assistance regarding rehabilitation services and independent living supports and benefits planning for disabled beneficiaries including the program under section 1382h of this title, the plans for achieving self-support program (PASS), and any other Federal or State work incentives programs that are designed to assist disabled beneficiaries, including educational agencies that provide information and assistance regarding rehabilitation, school-to-work programs, transition services (as defined in, and provided in accordance with, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)), a one-stop delivery system established under section 3151(e) of title 29, and other services. An entity shall submit an application for a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract to provide benefits planning and assistance to the Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Commissioner may determine is necessary to meet the requirements of this section. The Commissioner shall ensure that the planning, assistance, and information described in paragraph (2) shall be available on a statewide basis. The Commissioner may award a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this section to a State or a private agency or organization (other than Social Security Administration Field Offices and the State agency administering the State medicaid program under subchapter XIX, including any agency or entity described in clause (ii), that the Commissioner determines is qualified to provide the planning, assistance, and information described in paragraph (2)). The agencies and entities described in this clause are the following: The Commissioner may not award a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this section to any entity that the Commissioner determines would have a conflict of interest if the entity were to receive a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this section. A recipient of a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract to provide benefits planning and assistance shall select individuals who will act as planners and provide information, guidance, and planning to disabled beneficiaries on the— Subject to subparagraph (B), the Commissioner shall award a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this section to an entity based on the percentage of the population of the State where the entity is located who are disabled beneficiaries. No entity shall receive a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this section for a fiscal year that is less than $50,000 or more than $300,000. The total amount of all grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded under this section for a fiscal year may not exceed $23,000,000. The costs of carrying out this section shall be paid from amounts made available for the administration of subchapter II and amounts made available for the administration of subchapter XVI, and shall be allocated among those amounts as appropriate. An amount not in excess of 10 percent of the total amount obligated through a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract awarded under this section for a fiscal year to a State or a private agency or organization shall remain available for obligation to such State or private agency or organization until the end of the succeeding fiscal year. Any such amount remaining available for obligation during such succeeding fiscal year shall be available for providing benefits planning and assistance only for individuals who are within the caseload of the recipient of the grant, agreement, or contract as of immediately before the beginning of such fiscal year. Each entity awarded a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this section shall submit an annual report to the Commissioner on the benefits planning and assistance provided to individuals under such grant, agreement, or contract. In this section: The term “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Social Security. The term “disabled beneficiary” means an individual— There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $23,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2011.