[Job-Discussions] Lesser Known National Legislation That Supports Employment Of Persons With Disabilities

Mon Feb 21 00:34:40 UTC 2022

Very informative and helpful. Thank you for bringing the information to this list!

Ericka Nelson

> On Feb 20, 2022, at 3:16 PM, Kane Brolin via Job-Discussions <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Greetings.
> 
> I am  writing to motivate discussion of--or perhaps action on--some
> information I
> obtained while attending the most recent Zoom meeting of the Indiana
> affiliate of the Association of People Supporting Employment First,
> which is abbreviated using the acronym A.P.S.E. but which is
> pronounced Appsy. . I first became aware of APSE when Christopher
> Meyer, a young blind businessperson and civil rights activist in my
> home state, introduced me to Ms. Tina Skeel, who directs APSE's
> initiatives in Indiana.  Subsequently, I have kept in touch with
> Indiana's APSE affiliate ever since, as they have drafted me into the
> informal role of being a delegate or ambassador from the NFB of
> Indiana to the Indiana branch of APSE.
> 
> APSE promotes the successful employment of all people with
> disabilities.  APSE is very much onboard with  the Transition to
> Competitive and Integrated Employment Act (H.R.2373 and S.3238) which
> played an
> important role in the NFB Washington Seminar just concluded.  But they
> are interested in the passage of several other bills, too, which are
> not on either the NFB's list of legislative priorities or the ACB's
> list of legislative imperatives.
> I suggest that those of us who are blind, who are legislatively minded
> and passionate about employment of the blind, might wish to
> investigate and consider pitching the following six proposed laws to
> our representatives and senators.  I highly welcome feedback.
> 
> •    National Apprenticeship Act (H.R.447).  This bill already has passed
> the House of Representatives, so it is positioned better than most
> disability bills actually to become a law in 2022 while the 117th
> Congress is still serving.  “.The bill provides statutory authority
> for the Office of Apprenticeship (OA) within Labor. The OA's
> responsibilities include (1) supporting the development of
> apprenticeship models; (2) recognizing qualified state apprenticeship
> agencies, and operating apprenticeship offices in states without a
> recognized agency; (3) providing technical assistance to state
> agencies; (4) periodically updating requirements for each occupation
> in the apprenticeship program and determining whether to approve new
> occupations for the program; (5) promoting greater diversity in the
> national apprenticeship system; and (6) awarding grants provided by
> this bill.”  H.R.447 does not have a separate Senate bill number, as
> it already passed the House chamber before being sent to the Senate.
> It is in front of the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions         Committee
> of the U.S. Senate.
> https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/447/text?r=89&s=1
> •    Disability Employment Incentive Act (S.630).  This was introduced by
> U.S. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and is in front of the Senate
> Finance Committee, although they’ve not yet held a hearing on it.  A
> House version does not yet exist.  . “This bill expands tax credits
> and deductions that are available for employers who hire and retain
> employees with disabilities. The bill expands the work opportunity tax
> credit to include the hiring of employees who receive Social Security
> Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. For employers who hire
> vocational rehabilitation referrals, Supplemental Security Income
> recipients, or SSDI recipients, the bill also (1) increases the amount
> of wages that may be taken into account for the credit, and (2) allows
> an additional credit for second-year wages.”
> https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/630?s=1&r=77
> •    Relaunching America’s Workforce Act (H.R.602 and S.200).  “This bill
> establishes several grant programs to address employment, the
> workforce, and education access in response to the COVID-19 national
> emergency. The Department of Labor must provide grants in response to
> the COVID-19 national emergency to provide training and employment for
> dislocated, unemployed, and underemployed workers; support youth
> employment; establish workforce information systems improvements;
> provide reentry employment opportunities for justice-involved youth
> and young adults; and create or expand apprenticeship programs.”
> H.R.602 is in front of the Education and Labor Committee in the U.S.
> House.  The Senate version S.200 is in front of the Health, Education,
> Labor, & Pensions Committee after having been sponsored originally by
> U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington State.
> https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/200/text?r=1&s=1&format=txt
> •    ABLE Age Adjustment Act (H.R. 1219 and S.331).  “This bill increases
> from 26 to 46 the age threshold for tax-favored ABLE (Achieving a
> Better Life Experience) accounts. (ABLE accounts are designed to
> enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for
> disability-related expenses. To establish an account, an individual
> must have a qualifying impairment that began before the individual
> attained the age threshold.)” The House version H.R.1219 was
> introduced by Tony Cárdenas of California; it sits in the House Ways
> and Means Committee.  The Senate version S.331, introduced by Bob
> Casey from Pennsylvania, sits in the Senate Finance Committee.
> https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1219
> https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/331
> •    Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act (H.R.3824 and S.2065);
> The House version was introduced by Raúl Grijalva of Arizona.  The
> Senate version was sponsored by Sherrod Brown of Ohio.  This is in the
> House Budget Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.  It proposes
> to amend Title XVI of the of the Social Security Act to update
> eligibility for the SSI program.  A summary is not yet available for
> either House or Senate versions; but this is worth watching, according
> to APSE.  If interested, You can read the full text of this bill at
> https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2065/text.
> •    Work Without Worry Act (H.R.4003 and S.2108). John Larson of
> Connecticut introduced the House version, which is in the House Ways
> and Means Committee.  Don Wyden of Oregon introduced the Senate
> version S.2108, which is in the Senate Finance Committee. This
> proposes To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate
> work disincentives for childhood disability beneficiaries.  A summary
> is not yet available; but again, this is worth watching.  Full text is
> available at https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr4003/BILLS-117hr4003ih.xml.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Kane Brolin
> 
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