S. 4947Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act

A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to reauthorize demonstration authority for the disability insurance program.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 16, 2026 at 2:35 PM UTC

The Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act extends the Social Security Administration’s ability to run disability insurance demonstration projects through the end of 2030 (with authority lasting until the end of 2031). It lengthens the period for waiving certain benefit requirements, adds evaluation metrics, and ensures that participants’ overall income is not reduced because of the projects. The changes affect Social Security’s disability program and the individuals who take part in these demonstrations.

Key Provisions

Extends the termination date for the demonstration authority to December 31, 2030 and the authority to carry out projects to December 31, 2031.
Extends the deadline for waiving compliance with benefits requirements to December 31, 2030 and lengthens the waiver period from 90 to 120 days; requires inclusion of evaluation metrics for each project.
Specifies that administrative costs and benefit payments for the demonstrations are to be funded from the existing Federal Old‑Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund.
Adds a protection that an individual’s total income will not be reduced because of participation in a demonstration project.
Makes technical wording corrections and sets the effective date of all amendments to January 1, 2027.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

July 13, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 13, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

July 13, 2026

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 13, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4947

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 13, 2026

Mr. Schmitt introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to reauthorize demonstration authority for the disability insurance program.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act.

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.