Americans with disabilities would be able to find more improved job opportunities listed when they apply for federal disability benefits under a bipartisan bill sponsored on Sept. 18 by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
“Individuals with disabilities should not be unfairly penalized because of outdated data,” Sen. Cassidy said on Monday. “Current job classifications include nut sorters and seal hunters, occupations which are not reflected in today’s job market. We need an up-to-date job database to ensure those with disabilities do not fall through the cracks.”
Specifically, the Improving Employment Options for DI Beneficiaries Act, S. 2830, which is cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would update and improve vocational data and eligibility criteria for the Social Security Disability Program, according to the congressional record bill summary.
The current job options list for the program has not been updated since 1977. S. 2830 would eliminate obsolete jobs from the list to reflect the opportunities available in the current national economy, states a bill summary provided by Sen. Cassidy’s staff.
“For too long, Ohioans with disabilities have been at an unfair disadvantage because of the outdated economic data used by the Social Security Administration [SSA],” said Sen. Brown. “This bill will require SSA to use today’s data to run today’s programs and ensure that disabled Americans are not unfairly punished.”
S. 2830 has been referred to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee for consideration.