1320b-19. 113 STAT. 1864 PUBLIC LAW 106-170—DEC. 17, 1999 "THE T ICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM Establishment. "SEC. 1148. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner shall establish foo^u^in ^ Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program, under which a disabled beneficisiry may use a ticket to work and self-sufficiency issued by the Commissioner in accordance with this section to obtain employment services, vocationed rehabilitation services, or other support services from an employment network which is of the beneficiary's choice and which is willing to provide such services to such beneficiary. "(b) TICKET SYSTEM. — "(1) DISTRIBUTION OF TICKETS.— The Commissioner may issue a ticket to work and self-sufficiency to disabled beneficiaries for participation in the Progrsim. "(2) ASSIGNMENT OF TICKETS.— A disabled beneficiary holding a ticket to work and self-sufficiency may assign the ticket to any employment network of the beneficiar^s choice which is serving under the Program and is willing to accept the assignment. "(3) TICKET TERMS.—^A ticket issued under paragraph (1) shall consist of a doctmient which evidences the Commissioner's agreement to pay (as provided in paragraph (4)) an employment network, which is serving under the Program and to which such ticket is assigned by the beneficiary, for such employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other support services as the employment network may provide to the beneficiary. "(4) PAYMENTS TO EMPLOYMENT NETWORKS.— The Commissioner shall pay an emplo3ment network under the Program in accordance with the outcome pa3anent system under subsection (h)(2) or under the outcome-milestone payment system under subsection (h)(3) (whichever is elected pursuant to subsection (h)(1)). An emplo3ment network may not request or receive compensation for such services from the beneficiary. "(c) STATE PARTICIPATION.— "(1) IN GENERAL.— Each State agency administering or supervising the administration of the State plgin approved under title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.) may elect to participate in the Program as an employ- ment network with respect to a disabled beneficiary. If the State agency does elect to participate in the Program, the State agency also shall elect to be paid under the outcome payment system or the outcome-milestone pajTnent system in accordance with subsection (h)(1). With respect to a disabled beneficieiry that the State agency does not elect to have participate in the Program, the State agency shall be p£dd for services provided to that beneficiary under the system for payment applicable under section 222(d) and subsections (d) and (e) of section 1615. The Commissioner shall provide for periodic opportunities for exercising such elections. " (2) EFFECT OF PARTICIPATION BY STATE AGENCY. — "(A) STATE AGENCIES PARTICIPATING.— In any case in which a State agency described in paragraph (1) elects under that paragraph to participate in the Program, the employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other support services which, upon assignment of tickets
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