July 13, 2026
Mr. Schmitt introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to reauthorize demonstration authority for the disability insurance program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act
.
Sec. 2. Temporary reauthorization of disability insurance demonstration project authority
(a) Termination date
Section 234(d)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 434(d)(2)) is amended by striking December 31, 2021, and the authority to carry out such projects shall terminate on December 31, 2022
and inserting December 31, 2030, and the authority to carry out such projects shall terminate on December 31, 2031
.
(b) Authority To waive compliance with benefits requirements
Section 234(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434(c)) is amended—
(1)
by striking December 30, 2021
and inserting December 31, 2030
;
(2)
by striking 90 days
and inserting 120 days
; and
(3)
by inserting after the expected annual and total costs,
the following: evaluation metrics to be used with respect to the experiment or demonstration project,
.
(c) Expenditure
Section 201(k) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 401(k)) is amended to read as follows:
(k)
Administrative expenditures for experiments and demonstration projects under section 234 shall be paid from funds made available for the administration of this title. Benefits payable to or on behalf of individuals by reason of participation in experiments and demonstration projects under section 234 shall be made from the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, as determined appropriate by the Commissioner of Social Security.
(d) Limitation
Section 234(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434(e)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (2), by striking the and
at the end;
(2)
in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:
(4)
that the total income of an individual will not be reduced due to the individual’s participation in an experiment or demonstration project.
(e) Technical amendments
Section 234 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434) is further amended—
(1)
in subsection (d)(1), by striking subsection
and inserting section
; and
(2)
by striking subsection (f).
(f) Effective date
The amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 2027.