Summary
# H.R. 553: Workplace Choice and Flexibility for Individuals with Disabilities Act
## WHAT THIS BILL DOES
This bill changes the definition of "competitive integrated employment" (a regular job in the community workplace) under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The bill clarifies that certain jobs funded through federal and state contracts specifically designed to support people with disabilities can count as competitive integrated employment.
## WHO IT AFFECTS
- Individuals with disabilities seeking or maintaining employment
- State agencies that manage vocational rehabilitation programs
- Community rehabilitation programs (organizations helping people with disabilities find jobs)
- Federal and state government contractors and subcontractors who hire people with disabilities
## KEY PROVISIONS
- The bill expands what counts as workplace interactions to include social and personal contact with coworkers, customers, supervisors and others at work, rather than limiting this to interactions only within a single work unit (Sec. 2)
- Jobs can now qualify as competitive integrated employment if a person was paid through federal government contracts that prioritized hiring people with disabilities (Sec. 2)
- Jobs can qualify if a person was paid through state government contracts that prioritized hiring people with disabilities (Sec. 2)
- Jobs can qualify if they come from subcontracts (contracts under main contracts) at any level that prioritized hiring people with disabilities (Sec. 2)
- The bill states that jobs meeting the new definition should be counted as part of the competitive labor market and as valid employment outcomes for state vocational rehabilitation programs (Sec. 4)
## WHAT CHANGES
The legal definition of competitive integrated employment now includes jobs funded through federal and state contracts specifically designed to support employment for people with disabilities. These jobs previously may not have counted as "competitive integrated employment" under the law.
## IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
None defined in bill text.
## EFFECTIVE DATE
Not specified in bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 553
To amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to clarify the definition of
competitive integrated employment.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 26, 2023
Mr. GROTHMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to clarify the
definition of competitive integrated employment.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Workplace Choice and
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Flexibility for Individuals with Disabilities Act’’.
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SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF COMPETITIVE
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INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT.
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Section 7(5) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
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U.S.C. 705(5)) is amended—
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(1) in subparagraph (B)—
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•HR 553 IH
(A) by striking ‘‘not including’’ and insert-
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ing ‘‘including social and interpersonal inter-
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actions with colleagues, vendors, customers, su-
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periors, or other such persons who the employee
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may come into contact with during the work
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day and across workplace settings, other than’’;
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(B) by inserting before the semicolon at
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the end the following: ‘‘, except that such inter-
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actions shall not be considered solely at the
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work unit level’’; and
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(C) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end;
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(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
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paragraph (C) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
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(3) by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(D) for which an individual may have
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been paid—
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‘‘(i) by a contractor—
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‘‘(I) of the Federal Government
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under a contract with the Federal
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Government for which priority was
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given to the contractor on the basis of
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the bid of the contractor involving
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supporting employment for individuals
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with disabilities; or
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•HR 553 IH
‘‘(II) of a State government
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under a contract with the State gov-
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ernment for which priority was given
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to the contractor on the basis of the
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bid of the contractor involving sup-
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porting employment for individuals
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with disabilities;
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‘‘(ii) by a subcontractor at any tier of
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a contractor—
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‘‘(I) of the Federal Government
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under a subcontract for which priority
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was given to the subcontractor on the
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basis of the bid of the subcontractor
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involving supporting employment for
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individuals with disabilities; or
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‘‘(II) of a State government
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under a subcontract for which priority
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was given to the subcontractor on the
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basis of the bid of the subcontractor
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involving supporting employment for
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individuals with disabilities; or
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‘‘(iii) under a contract mandating di-
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rect labor-hour ratio of individuals with
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disabilities.’’.
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•HR 553 IH
SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
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Nothing in the amendments made by this Act shall
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be construed to reduce the number of jobs available for
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referral by a State agency or other entity.
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SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
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It is the sense of Congress that jobs meeting the defi-
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nition in section 7(5)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
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(29 U.S.C. 705(5)(B)), and which derive from Federal or
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State contracts managed by community rehabilitation pro-
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grams for the purposes of supporting employment for peo-
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ple with disabilities, shall be eligible to be considered—
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(1) part of the competitive labor market; and
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(2) an employment outcome for State vocational
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rehabilitation purposes.
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Æ
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