The bill, referred to as the "Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act," proposes to extend the authority for disability insurance demonstration projects. The current termination date of December 31, 2021, would be extended to December 31, 2030. This extension would allow for the continuation of projects to waive compliance with benefits requirements for disabled individuals. The bill's passage would likely impact the ability of disabled Americans to participate in work and access disability benefits.
Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act
This bill reauthorizes through 2031 the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) authority to carry out demonstration projects within the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. The bill also imposes requirements related to beneficiary income, project funding, and SSA reporting.
SSDI demonstration projects must be designed to promote attachment to the workforce and generally involve temporary changes to SSDI policies tested on a subset of beneficiaries. Participation in a demonstration project must be voluntary. SSA’s authority to carry out these projects expired on December 31, 2022.
Under the bill, SSA must ensure that an individual’s participation in a demonstration project does not reduce their total income. Further, the bill specifies that administrative expenses related to demonstration projects must be paid from funds appropriated for administration.
Finally, the bill requires SSA to report to Congress 120 days before initiating a demonstration project. This is an increase from 90 days under current law. This advance notification must include evaluation metrics for the relevant project.