Currently, 37 states have a program offering people with cognitive disabilities jobs that pay subminimum wages before moving on to higher-paying jobs. But that doesn’t always happen.

Federal regulations permit companies to apply for special certificates that allow them to hire disabled workers and pay them an average of less than $4 an hour.

The so-called “subminimum wage” program was created for employers that hire people with disabilities, but some say that practice should end.