Title: Office of Disability Congressional Research Act of 2018
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Office of Disability Congressional Research Act of 2018
This bill establishes the Office of Disability Congressional Research within the National Council on Disability. The bill also expands the duties of the council to include responding to congressional requests for information regarding the effects of regulations, legislation, and guidance on individuals with disabilities, their families, and the existing systems of services and support for them.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7096 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7096

  To establish the Office of Disability Congressional Research at the 
                    National Council on Disability.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2018

Mr. Langevin (for himself and Ms. Schakowsky) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
                               Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Office of Disability Congressional Research at the 
                    National Council on Disability.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Office of Disability Congressional 
Research Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY CONGRESSIONAL 
              RESEARCH.

    (a) Establishment.--Title IV of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 780 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 400 the 
following:

   ``establishment of the office of disability congressional research

    ``Sec. 400A. There is established in the National Council on 
Disability the Office of Disability Congressional Research.''.
    (b) Purpose.--Section 400(a)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 
(29 U.S.C. 780(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2)(A) The purpose of the National Council on Disability 
        is to provide Congress, the executive branch, the States, and 
        the public with data, analysis, and policy recommendations that 
        encourage policies, programs, practices, and procedures that 
        promote the national policy goals of the Americans with 
        Disabilities Act (equality of all individuals with 
        disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the 
        disability; economic self-sufficiency; independent living; and 
        inclusion and integration into all aspects of society). This 
        data and analysis will take the form of--
                            ``(i) reports offered on a regular basis 
                        regarding the effect of existing legislation, 
                        regulations, and guidance on individuals with 
                        disabilities, their families, and the existing 
                        systems of services and supports for them;
                            ``(ii) reports completed in legislative 
                        time regarding the effect that proposed Federal 
                        legislation, proposed regulations, and proposed 
                        guidance would have on individuals with 
                        disabilities, their families, and the existing 
                        systems of services and supports for them;
                            ``(iii) reports regarding how proposed 
                        Federal legislation, proposed regulations, and 
                        proposed guidance will align with existing 
                        disability policy.
            ``(B) For purposes of conducting any analysis or preparing 
        any report under this paragraph, upon request by National 
        Council, the head of any agency, department, establishment, or 
        commission shall, to the extent practicable, make available any 
        data asset and material maintained which the National Council 
        determines to be necessary in the performance of its duties and 
        functions (other than material or data, the disclosure of which 
        would be subject to a statute that prohibits the sharing or 
        intended use of such asset in a manner as to leave no 
        discretion on the issue).''.
    (c) Chairperson; Scope of Work; Meetings.--Title IV of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 780 et seq.) is further amended 
by inserting after section 400A (as added by subsection (a)) the 
following:

                 ``chairperson; scope of work; meetings

    ``Sec. 780B. The President shall designate the Chairperson from 
among the members appointed to the National Council. The Chairperson 
may analyze and report any legislation, regulation, or guidance the 
Chairperson determines appropriate to meet the purposes described in 
section 780(a)(2). The National Council shall meet at the call of the 
Chairperson, but not less often than four times each year.''.
    (d) Duties.--Section 401(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 781(a)) is amended by adding at the end of the following:
            ``(11) respond to requests by a member of the Committee on 
        the Budget, the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Health, 
        Education, Labor and Pensions, or the Committee on the 
        Judiciary of the Senate or the Committee on the Budget, the 
        Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Education and the 
        Workforce, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, or the 
        Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives 
        regarding the effect on individuals with disabilities, their 
        families, and the existing systems of services and supports for 
        them by providing information to assist the committee related 
        to--
                    ``(A) bills amending or affecting the supplemental 
                security income program under title XVI of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.), the Medicaid 
                program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), the Medicare program under title 
                XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et 
                seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
                (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Federal old-age, 
                survivors, and disability insurance benefits program 
                under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                401 et seq.), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
                1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), the Rehabilitation Act 
                of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), or any other law 
                affecting individuals with disabilities or disability 
                policy;
                    ``(B) bills related to entitlements and taxes;
                    ``(C) regulations proposed by the executive branch; 
                and
                    ``(D) existing legislation, regulations, or 
                guidance from Congress, the executive branch, or 
                decisions made by the Federal courts, including the 
                Supreme Court of the United States;
            ``(12) respond to other requests by any Senator or Member 
        of the House of Representatives, the National Council shall 
        provide information regarding the effect on individuals with 
        disabilities, their families, and the existing systems of 
        services and supports for them by providing information to 
        assist the Member of Congress related to--
                    ``(A) bills amending or affecting the Medicaid 
                program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), the Medicare program under title 
                XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et 
                seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
                (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Federal old-age, 
                survivors, and disability insurance benefits program 
                under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                401 et seq.), or any other law affecting individuals 
                with disabilities or disability policy;
                    ``(B) bills related to entitlements and taxes;
                    ``(C) regulations proposed by the executive branch; 
                and
                    ``(D) existing legislation, regulations, or 
                guidance from Congress, the executive branch, or 
                decisions made by the Federal courts, including the 
                Supreme Court of the United States;
            ``(13) ensure timely response to requests described in 
        paragraphs (11) and (12) by providing an analysis and report 
        relating to the legislation or regulation prior to a vote or 
        the closing of public comment on regulations, respectively;
            ``(14) prioritize requests described in paragraphs (11) and 
        (12) in the following way--
                    ``(A) give priority to responding to a request from 
                the Chairman or Ranking Minority Member of a committee 
                described in paragraph (11);
                    ``(B) give priority in analyzing legislation based 
                on the likelihood that a committee described in 
                paragraph (11) will consider the legislation;
                    ``(C) provide an initial report and analysis not 
                later than 3 business days after the date of a request;
                    ``(D) provide the full report and analysis of the 
                Office not later than 10 business days after the date 
                of a request;
                    ``(E) to the extent practicable, provide a full 
                report and analysis of legislation before a committee 
                of the Senate or the House of Representatives votes on 
                the legislation; and
                    ``(F) otherwise prioritize analyses and reporting 
                on all other legislation, regulations, and guidance in 
                accordance with such criteria as the National Council 
                Chairperson shall establish;
            ``(15) prepare reports for requests described in paragraphs 
        (11) and (12) in the following way--
                    ``(A) when possible and appropriate, use geospatial 
                standards, as defined by the Federal Geographic Data 
                Committee;
                    ``(B) be prepared using plain language;
                    ``(C) address issues at the national level and, to 
                the extent possible, at the State level; and
                    ``(D) be made publicly available, along with the 
                information and data used to prepare the analysis or 
                report, except to the extent that the information or 
                data is specifically exempted from public disclosure by 
                law or privacy regulations; and
            ``(16) when appropriate, collaborate with the Government 
        Accountability Office and the Congressional Research Service 
        when conducting analyses and preparing reports described in 
        paragraphs (11) and (12).''.
    (e) Annual Report.--Subsection (b) of section 401 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 781(b)) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(b) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 
Office of Disability Congressional Research Act of 2018 and annually 
thereafter, the National Council shall submit to the Committee on the 
Budget, the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate 
and the Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Ways and Means, the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives an annual report on the bills enacted into law, bills 
introduced, and regulation and guidance promulgated or proposed by the 
executive branch that will affect individuals with disabilities, their 
families, and the existing systems of services and supports for them. 
The report shall include recommendations for policy change.''.
    (f) Technical and Supportive Staff.--Section 403(a)(1) of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 783(a)) is amended by adding at 
the end of the following:
            ``(3) The Executive Director shall hire such technical and 
        professional staff as necessary, but no fewer than six full-
        time employees to respond timely to duties and timeframes set 
        forth in paragraphs (11) through (16) of section 401(a).''.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 405 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 785) is amended to read as 
follows:

                   ``authorization of appropriations

    ``Sec. 785. There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal 
year such sums as may be necessary to carry out this title.''.
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