Yesterday (June 29, 2006) the Senate finally passed the bill that will reauthorize the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, bill S1021 - the Workforce Investment Act.
This bill was introduced in the Senate over a year ago and has been held up due to conflicts related to provisions that involve faith-based initiatives. This bill is preferable to the companion house-passed bill, HR 27.
HR 27 passed the house floor back in March of 2005. This bill contains a provision which downgrades the position of RSA commissioner (that currently is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed in U.S. Senate) to that of a directorship. ACB strongly opposes this provision. In contrast, the Senate bill does not contain this language and thus retains the position of commissioner of RSA.
Overall the Senate bill is stronger than the House bill. A conference committee will be appointed that will determine the outcome of the final bill which will be signed into law. Our message to the conference committee will be to adopt the Senate language with regard to vocational rehabilitation.
Please stay tuned to the Washington Connection to find who the conferees will be.
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Krista Merritt, Policy Analyst
American Council of the Blind (ACB)
1155 15th St., NW, #1004
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-467-5081 / Fax: 202-467-5085
email:
kmerritt@acb.org
website:
www.acb.org