The Social Security Administration (SSA) has had authority to run test programs — called "demonstration projects" — to study new ways of helping disability insurance (SSDI) recipients return to work or manage their benefits. That authority expired in 2021 and 2022, leaving a gap. This bill reauthorizes that authority through 2030 and 2031, allowing the SSA to test different approaches and waive some standard benefit rules for participants. A new protection is added: people who join a demonstration project cannot have their total income reduced as a result of participating. The bill also requires that each project include evaluation metrics to help measure what's working.
Average Household Impact
- Income protection for SSDI demonstration participants — Participation cannot reduce a person's total income
Transparency & Accountability
- Evaluation metrics requirement — Each demonstration project must now include outcome metrics in its proposal
Congressional Summary
Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans ActThis 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.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Reported to House
- Action Date
- 2026-06-25
- Date Added
- 2026-06-27
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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