In 2018, Governor Wolf signed a bipartisan bill with unanimous support from the General Assembly into law. Act 36 of 2018 is known as the Employment First Act [PA Law 229]. The purpose of the Employment First Act (Act 36) is to “ensure that individuals with a disability be given the opportunity to achieve economic independence through jobs that pay competitive wages in community integrated settings.”

In an effort to reach this goal, the PA Employment First Oversight Commission was formed. Stephen Suroviec, Commission Chair, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Achieva and an RCPA member. Other RCPA members, including RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley, also serve on the commission. The commission was charged with:

• Establishing measurable goals and objectives governing the implementation of the Act;
• Tracking the measurable progress of public agencies in implementing the Act; and
• Issuing an annual report that:
  • Details the progress made on each of the measurable goals and objectives during the preceding fiscal year, and
  • Includes recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly for effective strategies and policies needed to support the implementation of this act.

The annual report from the commission details the progress toward these targets. You can view the report here.