MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, OFFICE OF DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT POLICY (ODEP) 

AND

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU (CFPB) 

I. PURPOSE 

The purpose of this Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is to establish an understanding 

between the Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and the 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to work together to strengthen the financial 

capability of youth and adults with disabilities by expanding access to a wide range of 

financial education resources, asset-building strategies, and consumer protection information 

through high-impact public policy initiatives and dissemination of effective practices. This

MOA provides a framework for coordinating and collaborating on communications, 

educational outreach, and policy activities aimed at supporting individuals with disabilities, 

providers of disability services, local school districts and education stakeholders, entities 

providing training and employment services, employers, and public policymakers. The 

framework will advance the creation, exchange, translation and use of knowledge that 

impacts employment and economic advancement of individuals with disabilities, as well as 

the exchange of other information and services for which cooperation may be mutually 

beneficial. 

II. AUTHORITY 

For ODEP, the authority to enter into this MOA is 29 U.S.C. 557b (ODEP organic statute). 

For the CFPB, the authority to enter into this MOA is the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 

2010, Pub. L. No. 111-203, 124 Stat. 1955.

III. BACKGROUND 

ODEP, established in 2001, provides, develops and influences the use of evidence-based 

disability employment policies, builds collaborative partnerships, and delivers authoritative 

and credible data on employment of individuals with disabilities. ODEP also provides 

national leadership to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities 

while striving to eliminate barriers to employment. ODEP supports the creation of 

meaningful and expanded employment options, promotes opportunities for optimal 

independence and economic advancement, encourages self-determination, and supports full 

inclusion of youth and adults with disabilities in their communities. 

ODEP has implemented numerous studies and grant initiatives to identify best practices and 

emerging models of excellence that can result in both improved employment outcomes and 

increased economic advancement of youth and adults with disabilities. One of ODEP's 

strategic investment areas over the years has been in the development of informational tools 

and educational resources to strengthen the ability of American Job Center to provide an 

array of asset development and financial literacy strategies to job-seekers with disabilities 

and other target populations within the workforce investment system. These services are 

particularly important for job-seekers with disabilities, whose daily living costs are 

significantly higher than the average American citizen as a result of their disability status. 
Individuals with disabilities are often reliant on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social 

Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicaid/Medicare, and other public benefits to help 

pay for some of their long-term supports and services. Individuals with disabilities not only 

desire to work to their optimal capacity and earn livable wages, but they also wish to 

increase their earnings and strengthen their financial security for the future.

The mission of the CFPB is to make consumer finance markets work by making rules more 

effective, by consistently and fairly enforcing those rules, and by empowering consumers to 

take more control over their economic lives. or services. The CFPB’s Office of Financial 

Empowerment, which is part of the Division of Consumer Education and Engagement, has a 

special focus on low-income and economically vulnerable consumers – those who face 

barriers to accessing affordable financial products and services that meet their needs for 

credit, payments and transactions, and savings. This includes consumers with disabilities. 

The goals of the Office of Financial Empowerment are to: 

Pursue program and policy initiatives to better serve low-income, economically 

vulnerable and traditionally underserved consumers; 

Address the consumer finance challenges they face to accessing transactional 

services, savings, and credit; 

Enable consumer-friendly innovations that seek to meet their needs and that also 

promote financial capability; 

Research, identify, spotlight, and promote the development of promising and 

effective practices that empower consumers and positively influence their financial 

decision-making; 

Provide consumers with information and opportunities to improve their financial 

stability and build assets; and, 

Engage with the public on targeted consumer finance issues as they relate to the 

underserved. 

CFPB and ODEP share complementary missions and a mutual commitment to improve the 

socioeconomic advancement of workers and prospective job-seekers with disabilities as 

well as other individuals facing multiple barriers to employment and economic 

advancement. This MOA is designed to further the coordination of policy activities, 

dissemination of effective practices, and sharing of informational resources and technical 

efforts between the two agencies. 

IV. ELEMENTS OF COLLABORATION 

CFPB and ODEP will collaborate to expand the understanding and implementation of 

policies, effective practices, and innovative strategies aimed at promoting the financial 

empowerment of youth and adults with disabilities and other individuals facing multiple 

barriers to economic security at the federal, state and local levels. 
Expected Outcomes of this collaboration include: 

(a) The development and dissemination of financial literacy materials that enables broad 

adoption of financial capability, including, but not limited to, the following core 

elements: financial planning; asset-building; credit counseling; consumer financial 

protection; and fair lending practices; 

(b) Documentation of increased linkages between the provision of employment services 

and financial planning and asset-building supports within American Job Center and 

state and local entities as a result of the dissemination and utilization of technical 

assistance materials and informational resources developed by either or both ODEP 

and CFPB; 

(c) Development of multi-agency collaboration strategies that enable a federal policy 

framework aimed at promoting the financial capability and empowerment of citizens 

with disabilities and other individuals facing multiple barriers to economic 

advancement; and 

(d) Better understanding of the financial tools and services available to consumers and 

including various consumer protection tools available through the CFPB. 

The elements of collaboration are: 

1. ODEP and CFPB will share relevant agency-developed research, effective practices, 

technical assistance materials, informational resources, policy strategies, publications 

and reports with each other to improve access to financial capability strategies aimed 

at ensuring optimal economic opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities and 

other individuals facing multiple barriers to economic advancement through 

employment. To the extent parties reproduce any content contained in these 

materials, the parties will credit or acknowledge the source of the content. CFPB’s 

name or logo may not be used without prior written consent by the CFPB. 

2. ODEP and CFPB will collaborate to develop and issue joint products and proposals 

that promote increased financial capability opportunities for youth and adults with 

disabilities and other individuals facing multiple barriers to employment and 

economic advancement, These activities and/or documents will focus on the 

following elements (including the relation of these elements to employment): 

financial education; asset-building; credit counseling; consumer financial protection; 

and fair lending practices. Additional elements may include increasing financial 

capability through the possible leveraging of programs under the Workforce 

Investment Act, including, but not limited to, American Job Center, community 

colleges, and employer organizations, in order to advance understanding and 

utilization of these elements. 

3. ODEP and CFPB will maintain open communication on the activities and status of 

their respective related programs and activities, and engage with national technical 

assistance (TA) partners on areas of mutual interest (including but not limited to 

ODEP’s National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic 

Advancement of People with Disabilities ((LEAD)). 
V. DURATION OF AGREEMENT 

This MOA is effective upon the date of the last signature below, and continues in effect for 

two years. 

The duration of the MOA may be extended by mutual written agreement of the parties, but 

not beyond three years of original date of signature by all parties. 

Either party may terminate the MOU by providing 30 days written notice to the other party. 

VI. MODIFICATION PROCEDURES 

Either party to this agreement may propose a modification to this MOA at any time. The 

parties may amend this MOA in writing and such amendments, when executed by both 

parties, will then become a part of this MOA. 

VII. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Any disputes arising under this agreement will be resolved informally by designated agency 

content persons. 

VIII. EFFECT OF AGREEMENT: 

This agreement is an internal Government agreement and is not intended to confer any right 

upon any private person. 

This agreement does not itself authorize the expenditure or reimbursement of any funds. 

Nothing in this agreement obligates the parties to fund any costs associated with the MOA 

or enter into any contract or other obligations. 

Nothing in this agreement shall be interpreted as limiting, superseding, or otherwise 

affecting either agency’s normal operations or decisions in carrying out its responsibilities 

and statutory or regulatory duties. This agreement does not limit or restrict the parties from 

participating in similar activities or arrangements with other entities. 

The agreement will be executed in full compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974. 

IX. AGENCY CONTACTS 

ODEP Project Lead: 

Serena Lowe 

Senior Policy Advisor 

Workforce Systems Policy Team 

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

U.S. Department of Labor 

(202) 693-7928 

Lowe.Serena.D@dol.gov 

CFPB Project Lead: 

Desmond Brown 

Program Specialist, Financial Empowerment 

Consumer Education & Engagement 

Office of Financial Empowerment 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

Office: 202-435-7485 

desmond.brown@cfpb.gov
X. AUTHORIZING SIGNATURES AND DATES 

Kathy Martinez 

Assistant Secretary 

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

U.S. Department of Labor 

Richard Cordray 

Director 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

Date Date 

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