Workplace Choice and Flexibility for Individuals with Disabilities Act

Bill: 115-hr-5658
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]
Introduced: 2018-04-27
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Disability and paralysis

Employment and training programs

Public contracts and procurement
Latest action: action_date: 2018-04-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-04-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Workplace Choice and Flexibility for Individuals with Disabilities Act</b></p> <p>This bill expands the definition of &quot;competitive integrated employment&quot; under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to include (1) social and interpersonal interactions with colleagues, vendors, customers, superiors, or other such persons who a disabled employee may come into contact with during the work day and across workplace settings; and (2) contracts awarded under federal law requiring that all federal agencies purchase specified supplies and services from nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or with significant disabilities, and state set-aside contracts.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5658 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 27, 2018 Mr. Grothman (for himself, Ms. Tenney , Mr. Estes of Kansas , and Mr. King of Iowa ) 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Workplace Choice and Flexibility for Individuals with Disabilities Act . 2. Clarification of definition of competitive integrated employment Section 7(5) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 705 ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (B)— (A) by striking not including and inserting including social and interpersonal interactions with colleagues, vendors, customers, superiors, or other such persons who the employee may come into contact with during the work day and across workplace settings, other than ; (B) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: , except that such interactions shall not be considered solely at the work unit level ; and (C) by striking and at the end; (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (D) for which an individual may have been hired through— (i) contracts and subcontracts awarded pursuant to chapter 85 of title 41, United States Code; (ii) State set-aside contracts intended to support employment for individuals with disabilities; or (iii) other contracts subject to mandated direct labor-hour ratio of persons with disabilities. . 3. Rule of construction Nothing in the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to reduce the number of jobs available for referral by a State agency or other entity. 4. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that individuals who are hired pursuant to community rehabilitation programs, chapter 85 of title 41, United States Code, State set-aside contracts, or mandated direct-labor hour ratio programs, should be considered— (1) part of the competitive labor market; and (2) an employment outcome for State vocational rehabilitation purposes.