§ 701. — Findings; purpose; policy.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 29USC701]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER 16--VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND OTHER REHABILITATION SERVICES
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 701. Findings; purpose; policy
(a) Findings
Congress finds that--
(1) millions of Americans have one or more physical or mental
disabilities and the number of Americans with such disabilities is
increasing;
(2) individuals with disabilities constitute one of the most
disadvantaged groups in society;
(3) disability is a natural part of the human experience and in
no way diminishes the right of individuals to--
(A) live independently;
(B) enjoy self-determination;
(C) make choices;
(D) contribute to society;
(E) pursue meaningful careers; and
(F) enjoy full inclusion and integration in the economic,
political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of
American society;
(4) increased employment of individuals with disabilities can be
achieved through implementation of statewide workforce investment
systems under title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 [29
U.S.C. 2801 et seq.] that provide meaningful and effective
participation for individuals with disabilities in workforce
investment activities and activities carried out under the
vocational rehabilitation program established under subchapter I of
this chapter, and through the provision of independent living
services, support services, and meaningful opportunities for
employment in integrated work settings through the provision of
reasonable accommodations;
(5) individuals with disabilities continually encounter various
forms of discrimination in such critical areas as employment,
housing, public accommodations, education, transportation,
communication, recreation, institutionalization, health services,
voting, and public services; and
(6) the goals of the Nation properly include the goal of
providing individuals with disabilities with the tools necessary
to--
(A) make informed choices and decisions; and
(B) achieve equality of opportunity, full inclusion and
integration in society, employment, independent living, and
economic and social self-sufficiency, for such individuals.
(b) Purpose
The purposes of this chapter are--
(1) to empower individuals with disabilities to maximize
employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, and inclusion
and integration into society, through--
(A) statewide workforce investment systems implemented in
accordance with title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
[29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.] that include, as integral components,
comprehensive and coordinated state-of-the-art programs of
vocational rehabilitation;
(B) independent living centers and services;
(C) research;
(D) training;
(E) demonstration projects; and
(F) the guarantee of equal opportunity; and
(2) to ensure that the Federal Government plays a leadership
role in promoting the employment of individuals with disabilities,
especially individuals with significant disabilities, and in
assisting States and providers of services in fulfilling the
aspirations of such individuals with disabilities for meaningful and
gainful employment and independent living.
(c) Policy
It is the policy of the United States that all programs, projects,
and activities receiving assistance under this chapter shall be carried
out in a manner consistent with the principles of--
(1) respect for individual dignity, personal responsibility,
self-determination, and pursuit of meaningful careers, based on
informed choice, of individuals with disabilities;
(2) respect for the privacy, rights, and equal access (including
the use of accessible formats), of the individuals;
(3) inclusion, integration, and full participation of the
individuals;
(4) support for the involvement of an individual's
representative if an individual with a disability requests, desires,
or needs such support; and
(5) support for individual and systemic advocacy and community
involvement.
(Pub. L. 93-112, Sec. 2, as added Pub. L. 105-220, title IV, Sec. 403,
Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1095; amended Pub. L. 105-277, div. A,
Sec. 101(f) [title VIII, Sec. 402(b)(2)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681-
337, 2681-413.)
References in Text
The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, referred to in subsecs. (a)(4)
and (b)(1)(A), is Pub. L. 105-220, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 936, as
amended. Title I of the Act is classified principally to chapter 30
(Sec. 2801 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this
Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9201 of
Title 20, Education, and Tables.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 701, Pub. L. 93-112, Sec. 2, Sept. 26, 1973, 87
Stat. 357; Pub. L. 95-602, title I, Sec. 122(a)(1), Nov. 6, 1978, 92
Stat. 2984; Pub. L. 99-506, title I, Sec. 101, Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat.
1808; Pub. L. 102-569, title I, Sec. 101, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4346,
related to findings, purpose, and policy, prior to repeal by Pub. L.
105-220, title IV, Sec. 403, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1093.
Amendments
1998--Pub. L. 105-277 made technical amendment in original to
section designation and catchline.
Short Title of 1998 Amendment
Pub. L. 105-220, title IV, Sec. 401, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1092,
provided that: ``This title [see Tables for classification] may be cited
as the `Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998'.''
Short Title of 1993 Amendment
Pub. L. 103-73, Sec. 1, Aug. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 718, provided that:
``This Act [enacting sections 753 and 753a of this title, amending
sections 706, 718 to 718b, 721 to 723, 725, 730 to 732, 744, 761a, 762,
771a, 777, 777a, 777f, 783, 791, 792, 794e, 795l, 796, 796c, 796d to
796e-2, 796f to 796f-4, and 796k of this title, sections 1431, 4301 to
4305, 4331, 4332, 4351, 4353 to 4357, 4359, 4359a, and 4360 of Title 20,
Education, and section 46 of Title 41, Public Contracts, enacting
provisions set out as notes under section 725 of this title and section
4301 of Title 20, and amending provisions set out as a note under this
section] may be cited as the `Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1993'.''
Short Title of 1992 Amendment
Section 1(a) of Pub. L. 102-569 provided that: ``This Act [see
Tables for classification] may be cited as the `Rehabilitation Act
Amendments of 1992'.''
Short Title of 1991 Amendment
Pub. L. 102-52, Sec. 1, June 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 260, provided that:
``This Act [amending sections 720, 732, 741, 761, 771, 772, 774, 775,
777, 777a, 777f, 785, 792, 795f, 795i, 795q, 796i, and 1904 of this
title and section 1475 of Title 20, Education] may be cited as the
`Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1991'.''
Short Title of 1986 Amendment
Section 1(a) of Pub. L. 99-506 provided that: ``This Act [enacting
sections 716, 717, 752, 794d, 795j to 795q, and 796d-1 of this title and
section 2000d-7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, amending
this section and sections 702, 705, 706, 711 to 715, 720 to 724, 730 to
732, 740, 741, 750, 751, 760 to 761b, 762, 762a, 770 to 777b, 777f, 780,
781, 783, 785, 791 to 794, 794c, 795, 795d to 795i, 796a, 796b, 796d to
796i, and 1904 of this title, and section 155a of former Title 36,
Patriotic Societies and Observances, repealing section 751 of this
title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and
sections 706, 730, 761a, and 795m of this title and section 1414 of
Title 20, Education] may be cited as the `Rehabilitation Act Amendments
of 1986'.''
Short Title of 1984 Amendment
Pub. L. 98-221, Sec. 1, Feb. 22, 1984, 98 Stat. 17, provided: ``That
this Act [enacting sections 780a and 1901 to 1906 of this title,
amending sections 706, 712 to 714, 720 to 722, 730, 732, 741, 761 to
762a, 771, 772, 774, 775, 777, 777a, 777f, 780, 781, 783, 791, 792,
794c, 795a, 795c, 795f, 795g, 795i, 796e, and 796i of this title and
sections 6001, 6012, 6033, 6061, and 6081 of Title 42, The Public Health
and Welfare, repealing section 777c of this title, enacting provisions
set out as a note under section 1901 of this title and amending
provisions set out as a note under section 713 of this title] may be
cited as the `Rehabilitation Amendments of 1984'.''
Short Title of 1978 Amendment
Section 1 of Pub. L. 95-602 provided that: ``This Act [enacting
sections 710 to 715, 751, 761a, 761b, 762a, 775, 777 to 777f, 780 to
785, 794a to 794c, 795 to 795i, and 796 to 796i of this title and
section 6000 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, amending this
section, sections 702, 706, 709, 720 to 724, 730 to 732, 740, 741, 750,
760 to 762, 770 to 774, 776, and 792 to 794 of this title, section 1904
[now 3904] of Title 38, Veterans' Benefits, and sections 6001, 6008 to
6012, 6031 to 6033, 6061 to 6065, 6067, 6081, and 6862 of Title 42,
repealing sections 764, 786, and 787 of this title and section 6007 of
Title 42, omitting sections 6041 to 6043 of Title 42, enacting
provisions set out as notes under sections 713 and 795 of this title and
sections 6000 and 6001 of Title 42, and repealing a provision set out as
a note under section 6001 of Title 42] may be cited as the
`Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Services, and Developmental Disabilities
Amendments of 1978'.''
Short Title of 1976 Amendment
Pub. L. 94-230, Sec. 1, Mar. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 211, provided that:
``This Act [amending sections 720, 732, 741, 761, 771, 772, 774, 775,
783, 785, and 792 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a
note under section 720 of this title] may be cited as the
`Rehabilitation Act Extension of 1976'.''
Short Title of 1974 Amendment
Pub. L. 93-516, title I, Sec. 100, Dec. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1617,
provided that: ``This title [amending sections 702, 706, 720 to 722,
732, 741, 750, 761, 762, 771, 772, 774 to 776, 783, 785, and 792 of this
title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 702 of
this title] shall be known as the `Rehabilitation Act Amendments of
1974'.''
An identical provision is contained in Pub. L. 93-651, title I,
Sec. 100, Nov. 21, 1974, 89 Stat. 2-3.
Short Title
Pub. L. 93-112, Sec. 1(a), as added by Pub. L. 105-220, title IV,
Sec. 403, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1093, and amended by Pub. L. 105-277,
div. A, Sec. 101(f) [title VIII, Sec. 402(b)(1)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112
Stat. 2681-337, 2681-412, provided that: ``This Act [enacting this
chapter] may be cited as the `Rehabilitation Act of 1973'.''
Pub. L. 93-112, title VI, Sec. 601, as added by Pub. L. 105-220,
title IV, Sec. 409, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1210, provided that: ``This
title [enacting subchapter VI of this chapter] may be cited as the
`Employment Opportunities for Individuals With Disabilities Act'.''
Pub. L. 93-112, Sec. 1, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 355, provided in
part that Pub. L. 93-112, which enacted this chapter and repealed
sections 31 to 41c and 42-1 to 42b of this title, could be cited as the
``Rehabilitation Act of 1973'', prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105-220,
title IV, Sec. 403, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1093.
Pub. L. 93-112, title VI, Sec. 601, as added by Pub. L. 95-602,
title II, Sec. 201, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2989, and amended by Pub. L.
102-569, title I, Sec. 102(p)(34), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4360,
provided that title VI of Pub. L. 93-112, enacting former subchapter VI
of this chapter, could be cited as the ``Employment Opportunities for
Handicapped Individuals Act'', prior to the general amendment of title
VI of Pub. L. 93-112 by Pub. L. 105-220, title IV, Sec. 409, Aug. 7,
1998, 112 Stat. 1210.
Ex. Ord. No. 11758. Delegation of Authority of the President
Ex. Ord. No. 11758, Jan. 15, 1974, 39 F.R. 2075, as amended by Ex.
Ord. No. 11784, May 30, 1974, 39 F.R. 19443; Ex. Ord. No. 11867, June
19, 1975, 40 F.R. 26253; Ex. Ord. No. 12608, Sept. 9, 1987, 52 F.R.
34617, provided:
By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 301 of title 3 of
the United States Code and as President of the United States of America,
it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is
hereby designated and empowered to exercise, without approval,
ratification, or other action of the President, the authority of the
President under section 500(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (87
Stat. 390, 29 U.S.C. 790) with respect to the transfer of unexpended
appropriations.
Sec. 2. The Secretary of Labor is hereby designated and empowered to
exercise, without approval, ratification, or other action of the
President, the authority of the President (1) under section 503(a) of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [29 U.S.C. 793(a)] to prescribe
regulations, after consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the
Administrator of General Services, with respect to the employment of
qualified handicapped individuals under Federal procurement contracts,
and (2) under section 503(c) of that act [29 U.S.C. 793(c)] with respect
to prescribing, by regulation, guidelines for waiving the requirements
of section 503 of the act [29 U.S.C. 793]. Changes in any regulations
prescribed by the Secretary pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be
made only after consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the
Administrator of General Services.
Sec. 3. The head of a Federal agency may, in conformity with the
provisions of section 503(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [29
U.S.C. 793(c)], and regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor
pursuant to section 2 of this order, exempt any contract and, following
consultation with the Secretary of Labor, any class of contracts, from
the requirements of section 503 of the act [29 U.S.C. 793].
Sec. 4. The Federal Acquisition Regulations and, to the extent
necessary, any supplemental or comparable regulation issued by any
agency of the executive branch shall, following consultation with the
Secretary of Labor, be amended to require, as a condition of entering
into, renewing or extending any contract subject to the provisions of
section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [29 U.S.C. 793], inclusion
of a provision requiring compliance with that section and regulations
issued by the Secretary pursuant to section 2 of this order.
Ex. Ord. No. 13078. Increasing Employment of Adults With Disabilities
Ex. Ord. No. 13078, Mar. 13, 1998, 63 F.R. 13111, as amended by Ex.
Ord. No. 13172, Oct. 25, 2000, 65 F.R. 64577; Ex. Ord. No. 13187,
Sec. 4(b), Jan. 10, 2001, 66 F.R. 3858, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, and in order to increase the
employment of adults with disabilities to a rate that is as close as
possible to the employment rate of the general adult population and to
support the goals articulated in the findings and purpose section of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 [42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.], it is
hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment of National Task Force on Employment of
Adults with Disabilities.
(a) There is established the ``National Task Force on Employment of
Adults with Disabilities'' (``Task Force''). The Task Force shall
comprise the Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Education, Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Commissioner
of Social Security, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Commerce,
Secretary of Transportation, Director of the Office of Personnel
Management, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, the
Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Chairperson of
the National Council on Disability, the Chairperson of the President's
Disability Employment Partnership Board., [sic] and such other senior
executive branch officials as may be determined by the Chair of the Task
Force.
(b) The Secretary of Labor shall be the Chair of the Task Force; the
Chairperson of the President's Disability Employment Partnership Board.
[sic] shall be the Vice Chair of the Task Force.
(c) The purpose of the Task Force is to create a coordinated and
aggressive national policy to bring adults with disabilities into
gainful employment at a rate that is as close as possible to that of the
general adult population. The Task Force shall develop and recommend to
the President, through the Chair of the Task Force, a coordinated
Federal policy to reduce employment barriers for persons with
disabilities. Policy recommendations may cover such areas as
discrimination, reasonable accommodations, inadequate access to health
care, lack of consumer-driven, long-term supports and services,
transportation, accessible and integrated housing, telecommunications,
assistive technology, community services, child care, education,
vocational rehabilitation, training services, job retention, on-the-job
supports, and economic incentives to work. Specifically, the Task Force
shall:
(1) analyze the existing programs and policies of Task Force
member agencies to determine what changes, modifications, and
innovations may be necessary to remove barriers to work faced by
people with disabilities;
(2) develop and recommend options to address health insurance
coverage as a barrier to employment for people with disabilities;
(3) subject to the availability of appropriations, analyze State
and private disability systems (e.g., workers' compensation,
unemployment insurance, private insurance, and State mental health
and mental retardation systems) and their effect on Federal programs
and employment of adults with disabilities;
(4) consider statistical and data analysis, cost data, research,
and policy studies on public subsidies, employment, employment
discrimination, and rates of return-to-work for individuals with
disabilities;
(5) evaluate and, where appropriate, coordinate and collaborate
on, research and demonstration priorities of Task Force member
agencies related to employment of adults with disabilities;
(6) evaluate whether Federal studies related to employment and
training can, and should, include a statistically significant sample
of adults with disabilities;
(7) subject to the availability of appropriations, analyze youth
programs related to employment (e.g., Employment and Training
Administration programs, special education, vocational
rehabilitation, school-to-work transition, vocational education, and
Social Security Administration work incentives and other programs,
as may be determined by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Task Force)
and the outcomes of those programs for young people with
disabilities;
(8) evaluate whether a single governmental entity or program
should be established to provide computer and electronic
accommodations for Federal employees with disabilities;
(9) consult with the President's Committee on Mental Retardation
on policies to increase the employment of people with mental
retardation and cognitive disabilities; and
(10) recommend to the President any additional steps that can be
taken to advance the employment of adults with disabilities,
including legislative proposals, regulatory changes, and program and
budget initiatives.
(d)(1) The members of the Task Force shall make the activities and
initiatives set forth in this order a high priority within their
respective agencies within the levels provided in the President's
budget.
(2) The Task Force shall issue its first report to the President by
November 15, 1998. The Task Force shall issue a report to the President
on November 15, 1999, November 15, 2000, and a final report on July 26,
2002, the 10th anniversary of the initial implementation of the
employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 [42
U.S.C. 12101 et seq.]. The reports shall describe the actions taken by,
and progress of, each member of the Task Force in carrying out this
order. The Task Force shall terminate 30 days after submitting its final
report.
(e) As used herein, an adult with a disability is a person with a
physical or mental impairment that substantially limits at least one
major life activity.
Sec. 2. Specific activities by Task Force members and other
agencies.
(a) To ensure that the Federal Government is a model employer of
adults with disabilities, by November 15, 1998, the Office of Personnel
Management, the Department of Labor, and the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission shall submit to the Task Force a review of
Federal Government personnel laws, regulations, and policies and, as
appropriate, shall recommend or implement changes necessary to improve
Federal employment policy for adults with disabilities. This review
shall include personnel practices and actions such as: hiring,
promotion, benefits, retirement, workers' compensation, retention,
accessible facilities, job accommodations, layoffs, and reductions in
force.
(b) The Departments of Justice, Labor, Education, and Health and
Human Services shall report to the Task Force by November 15, 1998, on
their work with the States and others to ensure that the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act [probably means
the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
1996, Pub. L. 104-193, see Tables for classification] is carried out in
accordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [29 U.S.C.
794], as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 [42
U.S.C. 12101 et seq.], so that individuals with disabilities and their
families can realize the full promise of welfare reform by having an
equal opportunity for employment.
(c) The Departments of Education, Labor, Commerce, and Health and
Human Services, the Small Business Administration, and the President's
Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities shall work together
and report to the Task Force by November 15, 1998, on their work to
develop small business and entrepreneurial opportunities for adults with
disabilities and strategies for assisting low-income adults, including
those with disabilities[,] to create small businesses and micro-
enterprises. These same agencies, in consultation with the Committee for
Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, shall assess
the impact of the Randolph-Sheppard Act [20 U.S.C. 107 et seq.] vending
program and the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act [41 U.S.C. 46 et seq.] on
employment and small business opportunities for people with
disabilities.
(d) The Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban
Development shall report to the Task Force by November 15, 1998, on
their examination of their programs to see if they can be used to create
new work incentives and to remove barriers to work for adults with
disabilities.
(e) The Departments of Justice, Education, and Labor, the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Social Security
Administration shall work together and report to the Task Force by
November 15, 1998, on their work to propose remedies to the prevention
of people with disabilities from successfully exercising their
employment rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 [42
U.S.C. 12101 et seq.] because of the receipt of monetary benefits based
on their disability and lack of gainful employment.
(f) The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor and
the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, in cooperation with the
Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, the National
Council on Disability, and the President's Committee on Employment of
People with Disabilities shall design and implement a statistically
reliable and accurate method to measure the employment rate of adults
with disabilities as soon as possible, but no later than the date of
termination of the Task Force. Data derived from this methodology shall
be published on as frequent a basis as possible.
(g) All executive agencies that are not members of the Task Force
shall: (1) coordinate and cooperate with the Task Force; and (2) review
their programs and policies to ensure that they are being conducted and
delivered in a manner that facilitates and promotes the employment of
adults with disabilities. Each agency shall file a report with the Task
Force on the results of its review on November 15, 1998.
(h) To improve employment outcomes for persons with disabilities by
addressing, among other things, the education, transition, employment,
health and rehabilitation, and independent living issues affecting young
people with disabilities, executive departments and agencies shall
coordinate and cooperate with the Task Force to: (1) strengthen
interagency research, demonstration, and training activities relating to
young people with disabilities; (2) create a public awareness campaign
focused on access to equal opportunity for young people with
disabilities; (3) promote the views of young people with disabilities
through collaboration with the Youth Councils authorized under the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 [Pub. L. 105-220, see Short Title note
set out under section 9201 of Title 20, Education]; (4) increase access
to and utilization of health insurance and health care for young people
with disabilities through the formalization of the Federal Healthy and
Ready to Work Interagency Council; (5) increase participation by young
people with disabilities in postsecondary education and training
programs; and (6) create a nationally representative Youth Advisory
Council, to be funded and chaired by the Department of Labor, to advise
the Task Force in conducting these and other appropriate activities.
Sec. 3. Cooperation. All efforts taken by executive departments and
agencies under sections 1 and 2 of this order shall, as appropriate,
further partnerships and cooperation with public and private sector
employers, organizations that represent people with disabilities,
organized labor, veteran service organizations, and State and local
governments whenever such partnerships and cooperation are possible and
would promote the employment and gainful economic activities of
individuals with disabilities.
Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This order does not create any right or
benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party
against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or any person.
William J. Clinton.
Ex. Ord. No. 13187. The President's Disability Employment Partnership
Board
Ex. Ord. No. 13187, Jan. 10, 2001, 66 F.R. 3857, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), and in order to promote the
employment of people with disabilities, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment and Composition of the Board. (a) There is
hereby established the President's Disability Employment Partnership
Board (Board).
(b) The Board shall be composed of not more than 15 members who
shall be appointed by the President for terms of 2 years. The membership
shall include individuals who are representatives of business (including
small business), labor organizations, State or local government,
disabled veterans, people with disabilities, organizations serving
people with disabilities, and researchers or academicians focusing on
issues relating to the employment of people with disabilities, and may
include other individuals representing entities involved in issues
relating to the employment of people with disabilities as the President
finds appropriate.
(c) The President shall designate a Chairperson from among the
members of the Board to serve a term of two years.
(d) Members and the Chairperson may be reappointed for subsequent
terms and may continue to serve until their successors have been
appointed.
Sec. 2. Functions. (a) The Board shall provide advice and
information to the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of
Labor, and other appropriate Federal officials with respect to
facilitating the employment of people with disabilities, and shall
assist in other activities that promote the formation of public-private
partnerships, the use of economic incentives, the provision of technical
assistance regarding entrepreneurship, and other actions that may
enhance employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
(b) In carrying out paragraph (a) of this section, the Board shall:
(i) develop and submit to the Office of Disability Employment
Policy in the Department of Labor a comprehensive written plan for
joint public-private efforts to promote employment opportunities for
people with disabilities and improve their access to financial
institutions and commercial and business enterprises;
(ii) identify strategies that may be used by employers, labor
unions, national and international organizations, and Federal,
State, and local officials to increase employment opportunities for
people with disabilities; and
(iii) coordinate with the Office of Disability Employment Policy
in the Department of Labor in promoting the collaborative use of
public and private resources to assist people with disabilities in
forming and expanding small business concerns and in enhancing their
access to Federal procurement and other relevant business
opportunities. Public resources include those of the Department of
Labor, the Small Business Administration, the Department of
Commerce, the Department of Education, the Department of Defense,
the Department of Treasury, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the
Federal Communications Commission, and of executive departments and
agency offices responsible for small, disadvantaged businesses
utilization.
(c) The Board shall submit annual written reports to the President,
who may apprise the Congress and other interested organizations and
individuals on its activities, progress, and problems relating to
maximizing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
(d) The Chairperson of the Board shall serve as a member and Vice
Chair of the National Task Force on Employment of Adults with
Disabilities established under Executive Order 13078 of March 13, 1998
[set out above].
Sec. 3. Administration. (a) The Board shall meet when called by the
Chairperson, at a time and place designated by the Chairperson. The
Chairperson shall call at least two meetings per calendar year. The
Chairperson may form subcommittees or working groups within the Board to
address particular matters.
(b) The Chairperson may from time to time prescribe such rules,
procedures, and policies relating to the activities of the Board as are
not inconsistent with law or with the provisions of this order.
(c) Members of the Board shall serve without compensation but shall
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence,
as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in Federal
service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707).
(d) The Department of Labor shall provide funding and appropriate
support to assist the Board in carrying out the activities described in
section 2 of this order, including necessary office space, equipment,
supplies, services, and staff. The functions of the President under the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, except that of reporting to
the Congress, that are applicable to the Commission, shall be performed
by the Department of Labor in accordance with guidelines that have been
issued by the Administrator of General Services.
(e) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall, to the
extent permitted by law, provide the Board such information as it may
need for purposes of carrying out the functions described in section 2
of this order.
Sec. 4. Prior Orders and Transition. (a) Executive Order 12640 of
May 10, 1988, as amended, relating to the establishment of the
President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, is
hereby revoked. The employees, records, property, and funds of the
Committee shall become the employees, records, property, and funds of
the Department of Labor.
(b) Executive Order 13078 of March 13, 1998 [set out above], is
amended in sections 1(a) and (b) by striking ``Chair of the President's
Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities'' and inserting
``Chairperson of the President's Disability Employment Partnership
Board.''
William J. Clinton.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 705, 725 of this title.
