ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On Wednesday, the Georgia Council of Developmental Disabilities held one of its three Advocacy Days at the Georgia Capitol.

Disabled advocates and their families met with lawmakers to discuss programs and possible solutions with state lawmakers.

They focused their discussions on increasing employment for people with disabilities.

State Sen. Billy Hickman sponsored the Dignity in Pay Act. It would require community programs to adopt wages for their workers at or above minimum wage by 2027.

Right now, The Fair Labor Standards Act allows community programs to file for 14(c) certificates to pay disabled workers below the minimum wage.

GCDD reports workers are paid as little as $0.22 an hour for their work, while programs turn a profit.

“Right now, about 250 Georgians with disabilities are being paid below minimum wage,” GCDD Executive Director D’arcy Robb said. “There is no low. There’s no floor. No bottom on what you can pay someone. There are documented cases of people being paid as low as $0.22 an hour. On the one hand, you have that, but on the other hand, you have other Georgians with disabilities all over the state who are building careers and pursuing education.”

Advocates like Lamonte McLeod spoke in favor of the bill. He said paying a disabled person like himself $0.22 an hour is simply inhumane.

McLeod said a car accident left him physically disabled, but it unlocked something new in his potential. He now advocates to help others in the disabled community in his spare time.

“I say all the time, ‘God, slow down my body so my mind can catch up.’ He allowed me my voice so I could speak on others’ behalf so we could get bills like this passed,” McLeod said.

Democrats and Republicans have signed onto the bill. Senator Hickman told Atlanta News First he doesn’t expect any opposition.

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