CONTENTS Text of H.R. 17. Prepared statements, letters, supplemental material: American Occupational Therapy Association, statement of the Bennett, Hon. Charles E., a Representative in Congress from the State Hansen, Hon. Orval, a Representative in Congress from the State of Idaho, letter from Edward Newman, Commissioner, Social and Re- habilitative Service, HEW, enclosing comments, dated September 6, 1972__. Kurzman, Stephen, Assistant Secretary for Legislation, HEW, authori- Memorandum of disapproval of Rehabilitation Act of 1972 (H.R. Mink, Hon. Patsy T., a Representative in Congress from the State of Nagle, John F., chief, Washington office, National Federation of the Newman, Hon. Edward, Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Ad- ministration, HEW, letter to Chairman Brademas, dated April 11. 1972_. Phillips, Dean, national executive director and chief executive officer, Richardson, Hon. Elliot L., Secretary of Department of Health, Edu- Salmon, Peter J., LL.D., administrative vice president, the Indus- Saperstein, Sidney A., Assistant General Counsel for Legislation, Letter to Chairman Brademas, dated January 29, 1973_ Letter to Chairman Brademas, dated February 26, 1973, enclosing "Administration recommendations on major conference issues regarding vocational rehabilitation bill”. Schloss, Irvin P., coordinator of governmental relations, American United Cerebral Palsy Association, Inc., statement in behalf of Wright, Mrs. Gloria, Committee on Governmental Affairs, National THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1973 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON EDUCATION OF THE Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 9:45 a.m., pursuant to notice, in room Staff members present: Jack G. Duncan, counsel; Martin LaVor, [H.R. 17, 93d Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To amend the Vocational Rehabilitation Act to extend and revise the authorization of grants to Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of TITLE III-SPECIAL FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITIES Sec. 300. Declaration of purpose. Sec. 301. Grants for construction of rehabilitation facilities. Sec. 302. Vocational training services for handicapped individuals. Sec. 303. Mortgage insurance for rehabilitation facilities. Sec. 304. Annual interest grants for mortgages for rehabilitation facilities. Sec. 305. Special projects and demonstrations. Sec. 306. National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. Sec. 307. Rehabilitation Centers for Deaf Individuals. Sec. 308. National Centers for Spinal Cord Injuries. Sec. 309. Grants for services for end-stage renal disease. Sec. 310. Rehabilitation services for older blind individuals. Sec. 311. National Advisory Council on Rehabilitation of Handicapped Individuals. Sec. 313. General grant and contract requirements. Sec. 701. Federal Interagency Committee on Handicapped Employees. Sec. 702. National Commission on Transportation and Housing for Handicapped Individuals. Sec. 704. Employment under Federal contracts. Sec. 705. Nondiscrimination under Federal grants. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE SEC. 2. The purpose of this Act is to provide a statutory basis for the Rehabilitation Services Administration, to establish within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare an Office for the Handicapped, and to authorize programs to (1) develop and implement comprehensive and continuing State plans for meeting the current and future needs for providing vocational rehabilitation services to handicapped individuals and to provide such services for the benefit of such individuals, serving first those with the most severe handicaps, so that they may prepare for and engage in gainful employment; (2) evaluate the rehabilitation potential of handicapped individuals; (3) develop, implement, and provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to meet the current and future needs of handicapped individuals for whom a vocational goal is not possible or feasible so that they may improve their ability to live with greater independence and self-sufficiency; (4) assist in the construction and improvement of rehabilitation facilities; (5) develop new and innovative methods of applying the most advanced medical technology, scientific achievement, and psychological and social knowledge to solve rehabilitation problems and develop new and innovative methods of providing rehabilitation services to handicapped individuals through research, special projects, and demonstrations; (6) initiate and expand services to groups of handicapped individuals (including those who are homebound and institutionalized) who have been under served in the past; (7) direct the conduct of various studies and experiments to focus on long-neglected problem areas; (8) promote and expand employment opportunities in the public and private sectors for handicapped individuals and to place such individuals in employment; (9) establish client assistance pilot projects; (10) provide assistance for the purpose of increasing the number of rehabilitation personnel and increasing their skills through training; and (11) evaluate existing approaches to architectural and transportation barriers confronting handicapped individuals, develop new such approaches, enforce statutory and regulatory standards and requirements regarding barrier-free construction of public facilities and study and develop solutions to existing housing and transportation barriers impeding handicapped individuals. REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION SEC. 3. (a) There shall be in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare a Rehabilitation Services Administration which shall be administered by a Commissioner (hereinafter referred to as the "Commissioner"). The Commissioner shall carry out and administer all programs and direct the performance of all services for which authority is provided under titles I through IV of this Act. (b) There shall be within such Administration a Division of Research, Training, and Evaluation, which shall be responsible for carrying out programs and projects under title IV of this Act. There shall be within such Division a Center for Technology Assessment and Application, which shall be responsible for developing and supporting, and stimulating the development and utilization (including production and distribution of new and existing devices) of, innovative methods of applying advanced medical technology, scientific achievement, and psychological and social knowledge to solve rehabilitation problems, and for administration of the activities described in section 402(b) (2). Such Division shall be directed by an Assistant Commissioner, who shall be responsible to the Commissioner and shall be a person of outstanding scientific and technological achievement and learning and shall carry out his responsibilities in consultation with the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences, and shall be assigned at least ten full-time positions, five of which shall be filled by professionals of qualifications similar to the Assistant Commissioner. (c) The Secretary shall take whatever action is necessary to insure that funds appropriated pursuant to this Act, as well as unexpended appropriations for carrying out the Vocational Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 31-42), are expended only for the programs, personnel, and administration of programs carried out under this Act. (d) In order to carry out the purposes of this Act (1) the number of positions authorized by section 5108(a) of title 5, United States Code, and assigned to the Rehabilitation Services Administration, is increased by ten, and (2) the authorized level of full-time personnel, or the equivalent, assigned to the Rehabilitation Services Administration to carry out duties related to the administration of this Act, is increased by sixty. ADVANCE FUNDING SEC. 4. (a) For the purpose of affording adequate notice of funding available under this Act, appropriations under this Act are authorized to be included in the appropriation Act for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which they are available for obligation. (b) In order to effect a transition to the advance funding method of timing appropriation action, the authority provided by subsection (a) of this section shall apply notwithstanding that its initial application will result in the enactment in the same year (whether in the same appropriation Act or otherwise) of two separate appropriations, one for the then current fiscal year and one for the succeeding fiscal year. JOINT FUNDING SEC. 5. Pursuant to regulations prescribed by the President, and to the extent consistent with the other provisions of this Act, where funds are provided for a single project by more than one Federal agency to an agency or organization assisted under this Act, the Federal agency principally involved may be designated to act for all in administering the funds provided, and, in such cases, a single non-Federal share requirement may be established according to the proportion of funds advanced by each agency. When the principal agency involved is the Rehabilitation Service Administration, it may waive any grant or contract requirement (as defined by such regulations) under or pursuant to any law other than this Act, which requirement is inconsistent with the similar requirements of the administering agency under or pursuant to this Act. |