General

34 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart A
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

34 C.F.R. § 370.1 What is the Client Assistance Program (CAP)?

The purpose of this program is to establish and carry out CAPs that— (a) Advise and inform clients and client-applicants of all services and benefits available to them through programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act), including activities carried out under sections 113 and 511; (b) Assist and advocate for clients and client-applicants in their relationships with projects, programs, and community rehabilitation programs providing services under the Act; and (c) Inform individuals with disabilities in the State, especially individuals with disabilities who have traditionally been unserved or underserved by vocational rehabilitation programs, of the services and benefits available to them under the Act and under title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12111 et seq.).

34 C.F.R. § 370.2 Who is eligible for an award?

(a)(1) Any State, through its Governor, and the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium are eligible for an award under this part if the State or eligible protection and advocacy system submits, and receives approval of, an application in accordance with § 370.20. (2) For purposes of this part, the terms— (i) “American Indian Consortium” has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) (42 U.S.C. 15002); and (ii) “Protection and advocacy system” means a protection and advocacy system established under subtitle C of title I of the DD Act (42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.). (b) Notwithstanding the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium, the Governor of each State shall designate a public or private agency to conduct the State's CAP under this part. (c) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, the Governor shall designate an agency that is independent of any agency that provides treatment, services, or rehabilitation to individuals under the Act. (d) The Governor may, in the initial designation, designate an agency that provides treatment, services, or rehabilitation to individuals with disabilities under the Act if, at any time before February 22, 1984, there was an agency in the State that both— (1) Was a grantee under section 112 of the Act by serving as a client assistance agency and directly carrying out a CAP; and (2) Was, at the same time, a grantee under any other provision of the Act. (e) An agency designated by the Governor of a State to conduct the State's CAP or the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium under this part may not make a subaward to or enter into a contract with an agency that provides services under this Act either to carry out the CAP or to provide services under the CAP. (f) A designated agency, including the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium, that contracts to provide CAP services with another entity or individual remains responsible for— (1) The conduct of a CAP that meets all of the requirements of this part; (2) Ensuring that the entity or individual expends CAP funds in accordance with— (i) The regulations in this part; and (ii) The regulations at 2 CFR part 200 applicable to the designated agency identified in paragraph (b) or the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium, as described in paragraph (a) of this section; and (3) The direct day-to-day supervision of the CAP services being carried out by the contractor. This day-to-day supervision must include the direct supervision of the individuals who are employed or used by the contractor to provide CAP services.

34 C.F.R. § 370.3 Who is eligible for services and information under the CAP?

(a) Any client or client-applicant is eligible for the services described in § 370.4. (b) Any individual with a disability is eligible to receive information on the services and benefits available to individuals with disabilities under the Act and title I of the ADA.

34 C.F.R. § 370.4 What kinds of activities may the Secretary fund?

(a) Funds made available under this part must be used for activities consistent with the purposes of this program, including— (1) Advising and informing clients, client-applicants, and individuals with disabilities in the State, especially individuals with disabilities who have traditionally been unserved or underserved by vocational rehabilitation programs, of— (i) All services and benefits available to them through programs authorized under the Act; and (ii) Their rights in connection with those services and benefits; (2) Informing individuals with disabilities in the State, especially individuals with disabilities who have traditionally been unserved or underserved by vocational rehabilitation programs, of the services and benefits available to them under title I of the ADA; (3) Upon the request of the client or client-applicant, assisting and advocating on behalf of the client or client-applicant in his or her relationship with projects, programs, and community rehabilitation programs that provide services under the Act by engaging in individual or systemic advocacy and pursuing, or assisting and advocating on behalf of the client or client-applicant to pursue, legal, administrative, and other available remedies, if necessary— (i) To ensure the protection of the rights of a client or client-applicant under the Act; and (ii) To facilitate access by individuals with disabilities, including students and youth with disabilities who are making the transition from school programs, to services funded under the Act; and (4) Providing information to the public concerning the CAP. (b) In providing assistance and advocacy services under this part with respect to services under title I of the Act, a designated agency may provide assistance and advocacy services to a client or client-applicant to facilitate the individual's employment, including assistance and advocacy services with respect to the individual's claims under title I of the ADA, if those claims under title I of the ADA are directly related to services under title I of the Act that the individual is receiving or seeking.

34 C.F.R. § 370.5 What regulations apply?

The following regulations apply to the expenditure of funds and the administration of the program under this part: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as follows: (1) 34 CFR part 75 (Direct Grant Programs) for purposes of an award made under § 370.30(d)(1) when the CAP appropriation equals or exceeds $14,000,000. (2) 34 CFR part 76 (State-Administered Programs) applies to the State and, if the designated agency is a State or local government agency, to the designated agency, except for— (i) Section 76.103; (ii) Sections 76.125 through 76.137; (iii) Sections 76.300 through 76.401; (iv) Section 76.708; (v) Section 76.734; and (vi) Section 76.740. (3) 34 CFR part 77 (Definitions That Apply to Department Regulations). (4) 34 CFR part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities). (5) 34 CFR part 81 (General Education Provisions Act—Enforcement) applies to both the State and the designated agency, whether or not the designated agency is the actual recipient of the CAP grant. As the entity that eventually, if not directly, receives the CAP grant funds, the designated agency is considered a recipient for purposes of Part 81. (6) 34 CFR part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying). (b) Other regulations as follows: (1) 2 CFR part 180 (OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement)), as adopted at 2 CFR part 3485. (2) 2 CFR part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards), as adopted at 2 CFR part 3474. (c) The regulations in this part 370.

34 C.F.R. § 370.6 What definitions apply?

(a) Definitions in EDGAR at 34 CFR part 77. (b) Definitions in 2 CFR part 200, subpart A. (c) Other definitions. The following definitions also apply to this part: Act means the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Advocacy means pleading an individual's cause or speaking or writing in support of an individual. Advocacy may be formal, as in the case of a lawyer representing an individual in a court of law or in formal administrative proceedings before government agencies (whether tribal, State, local, or Federal). Advocacy also may be informal, as in the case of a lawyer or non-lawyer representing an individual in negotiations, mediation, or informal administrative proceedings before government agencies (whether tribal, State, local, or Federal), or as in the case of a lawyer or non-lawyer representing an individual's cause before private entities or organizations, or government agencies (whether tribal, State, local, or Federal). Advocacy may be on behalf of— (1) A single individual, in which case it is individual advocacy; (2) More than one individual or a group of individuals, in which case it is systems (or systemic) advocacy, but systems or systemic advocacy, for the purposes of this part, does not include class actions, or (3) Oneself, in which case it is self advocacy. American Indian Consortium means that entity described in § 370.2(a). Class action means a formal legal suit on behalf of a group or class of individuals filed in a Federal or State court that meets the requirements for a “class action” under Federal or State law. “Systems (or systemic) advocacy” that does not include filing a formal class action in a Federal or State court is not considered a class action for purposes of this part. Client or client-applicant means an individual receiving or seeking services under the Act, respectively. Designated agency means the agency designated by the Governor under § 370.2 or the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium that is conducting a CAP under this part. Mediation means the act or process of using an independent third party to act as a mediator, intermediary, or conciliator to settle differences or disputes between persons or parties. The third party who acts as a mediator, intermediary, or conciliator may not be any entity or individual who is connected in any way with the eligible system or the agency, entity, or individual with whom the individual with a disability has a dispute. Mediation may involve the use of professional mediators or any other independent third party mutually agreed to by the parties to the dispute. Protection and Advocacy System has the meaning set forth at § 370.2(a). Services under the Act means vocational rehabilitation, independent living, supported employment, and other similar rehabilitation services provided under the Act. For purposes of the CAP, the term “services under the Act” does not include activities carried out under the protection and advocacy program authorized by section 509 of the Act (i.e., the Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) program, 34 CFR part 381). State means, in addition to each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, The United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, except for purposes of the allotments under § 370.30, in which case “State” does not mean or include Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

34 C.F.R. § 370.7 What shall the designated agency do to make its services accessible?

The designated agency shall provide, as appropriate, the CAP services described in § 370.4 in formats that are accessible to clients or client-applicants who seek or receive CAP services.

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