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Summary Provided by Congressional Research Service
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.
Latest available text
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the "Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act".
2. Temporary reauthorization of disability insurance demonstration project authority
(a) Termination date - Section 234(d)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 434(d)(2)) is amended by striking "December 31, 2021, and the authority to carry out such projects shall terminate on December 31, 2022" and inserting "December 31, 2030, and the authority to carry out such projects shall terminate on December 31, 2031".
(b) Authority to waive compliance with benefits requirements - Section 234(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434(c)) is amended—
(1) by striking "December 30, 2021" and inserting "December 31, 2030";
(2) by striking "90 days" and inserting "120 days"; and
(3) by inserting after "the expected annual and total costs," the following: "evaluation metrics to be used with respect to the experiment or demonstration project,".
(c) Expenditure - Section 201(k) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 401(k)) is amended to read as follows:
(k) Administrative expenditures for experiments and demonstration projects under section 234 shall be paid from funds made available for the administration of this title. Benefits payable to or on behalf of individuals by reason of participation in experiments and demonstration projects under section 234 shall be made from the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, as determined appropriate by the Commissioner of Social Security.
(d) Limitation - Section 234(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434(e)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking the "and" at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting "; and"; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
(4) that the total income of an individual will not be reduced due to the individual’s participation in an experiment or demonstration project.
(e) Technical amendments - Section 234 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434) is further amended—
(1) in subsection (d)(1), by striking "subsection" and inserting "section"; and
(2) by striking subsection (f).
(f) Effective date - The amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
Passed the House of Representatives July 23, 2026.Kevin F. McCumber,Clerk.