42 USC 1320 - Work incentives outreach program

View all text of Part A [§ 1301 - § 1320b-26]

§ 1320b–20. Work incentives outreach program

(a) Establishment

(1) In general

(2) Grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and outreachUnder the program established under this section, the Commissioner shall—

(A) establish a competitive program of grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to provide benefits planning and assistance, including information on the availability of protection and advocacy services, to disabled beneficiaries, including individuals participating in the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program established under section 1320b–19 of this title, the program established under section 1382h of this title, and other programs that are designed to encourage disabled beneficiaries to work;

(B) conduct directly, or through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts, ongoing outreach efforts to disabled beneficiaries (and to the families of such beneficiaries) who are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentive programs that are designed to assist disabled beneficiaries to work, including—

(i) preparing and disseminating information explaining such programs; and

(ii) working in cooperation with other Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve disabled beneficiaries, and with agencies and organizations that focus on vocational rehabilitation and work-related training and counseling;

(C) establish a corps of trained, accessible, and responsive work incentives specialists within the Social Security Administration who will specialize in disability work incentives under subchapters II and XVI for the purpose of disseminating accurate information with respect to inquiries and issues relating to work incentives to—

(i) disabled beneficiaries;

(ii) benefit applicants under subchapters II and XVI; and

(iii) individuals or entities awarded grants under subparagraphs 1

1 So in original. Probably should be “subparagraph”.

(A) or (B); and

(D) provide—

(i) training for work incentives specialists and individuals providing planning assistance described in subparagraph (C); and

(ii) technical assistance to organizations and entities that are designed to encourage disabled beneficiaries to return to work.

(3) Coordination with other programs

(b) Conditions

(1) Selection of entities

(A) Application

(B) Statewideness

(i) In general

(ii) Agencies and entities describedThe agencies and entities described in this clause are the following:(I) Any public or private agency or organization (including Centers for Independent Living established under title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 796 et seq.), protection and advocacy organizations, client assistance programs established in accordance with section 112 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 732), and State Developmental Disabilities Councils established in accordance with section 6024 2

2 See References in Text note below.

of this title) that the Commissioner determines satisfies the requirements of this section.(II) The State agency administering the State program funded under part A of subchapter IV.

(D) Exclusion for conflict of interest

(2) Services providedA recipient of a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract to provide benefits planning and assistance shall select individuals who will act as planners and provide information, guidance, and planning to disabled beneficiaries on the—

(A) availability and interrelation of any Federal or State work incentives programs designed to assist disabled beneficiaries that the individual may be eligible to participate in;

(B) adequacy of any health benefits coverage that may be offered by an employer of the individual and the extent to which other health benefits coverage may be available to the individual; and

(3) Amount of grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts

(A) Based on population of disabled beneficiaries

(B) Limitations

(i) Per grant

(ii) Total amount for all grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts

(4) Funding

(A) Allocation of costs

(B) Carryover

(d) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Commissioner

(2) Disabled beneficiaryThe term “disabled beneficiary” means an individual—

(A) who is a disabled beneficiary as defined in section 1320b–19(k)(2) of this title;

(B) who is receiving a cash payment described in section 1382e(a) of this title or a supplementary payment described in section 212(a)(3) of Public Law 93–66 (without regard to whether such payment is paid by the Commissioner pursuant to an agreement under section 1382e(a) of this title or under section 212(b) of Public Law 93–66);

(C) who, pursuant to section 1382h(b) of this title, is considered to be receiving benefits under subchapter XVI of this chapter; or

(D) who is entitled to benefits under part A of subchapter XVIII of this chapter by reason of the penultimate sentence of section 426(b) of this title.

(e) Authorization of appropriations

(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XI, § 1149, as added Pub. L. 106–170, title I, § 121, Dec. 17, 1999, 113 Stat. 1887; amended Pub. L. 108–203, title IV, §§ 404(a)(1), 407(a), Mar. 2, 2004, 118 Stat. 525, 527; Pub. L. 111–63, § 2, Sept. 18, 2009, 123 Stat. 2001; Pub. L. 111–280, §§ 2(a), 3(a), (b)(1), Oct. 13, 2010, 124 Stat. 2903; Pub. L. 113–128, title V, § 512(dd)(3), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1718.)