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Work Matters Policy Framework: Reviewing 2018 Legislative Actions
Lawmakers enacting legislation affecting employment opportunities for people with disabilities had a busy year in 2018.
This was the second legislative session following the release of “Work Matters: A Framework for States on Workforce Development for People with Disabilities.” In partnership with the Council of State Governments (CSG), NCSL published Work Matters in December 2016 after a bipartisan national task force of state legislators, governors, state regulators, and private industry officials worked to determine legislative options to advance employment for people with disabilities.
Work Matters was part of the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED), an ongoing initiative by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). SEED works to foster employment opportunities for people with disabilites by assisting states seeking to promote inclusive workforce development.The report details dozens of state policy options under the following frameworks:
- Laying the groundwork.
- Preparing for work.
- Getting to and accessing work opportunities.
- Staying at work.
- Supporting self-employment and entrepreneurship.
As a partner organization in SEED, NCSL analyzed 144 enacted bills from the 2018 legislative sessions related to disability employment seeking to identify those bills that align with the Work Matters policy framework. We identified 44 bills from 25 states that directly relate to policy options identified in the Work Matter framework. Those bills are summarized below:
Laying the Groundwork
This policy area includes legislation that establishes a broad policy environment that embraces inclusiveness and supports disability employment. Key policies identified in the Work Matters framework include:
- The state serving as a model employer,
- State incentives for the business sector that promote hiring of people with disabilities.
- Training programs that raise awareness about disability etiquette and inclusiveness.
- Optimizing resources through interagency collaboration.
|
STATE
|
BILL NUMBER
|
BILL SPONSOR
|
BILL TITLE
|
WORK MATTERS POLICY
|
| Alaska |
SB 174
|
Micchiche (R) |
Programs for Persons With Disabilities |
State as Model Employer, Interagency Collaboration |
| California |
AB 3002 |
Grayson (D) |
Disability Access Requirements: Information |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Colorado |
SB 145 |
Kefalas (D) |
Implement Employment First Recommendations |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Connecticut |
SB 463 |
Public Health Cmt |
Task Force to Evaluate Alternative Service Models for Persons with Intellectual Disability |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Delaware |
HB 370 |
Heffernan (D) |
An Act to Amend Title 19 of the Delaware Code Relationing to Employment Practices |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Georgia |
HB 831 |
Rogers (R) |
Georgia's Employment First Act |
State as Model Employer, Interagency Collaboration |
| Idaho |
SB 1296 |
Health and Welfare Cmt |
An Act Relating to Persons with Disabilities |
Raising Awareness |
| Illinois |
SB 3222 |
Murphy (D) |
Workforce Innovation Board |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Illinois |
HB 3185 |
Ammons (D) |
Education-Tech |
State as Model Employer |
| Iowa |
SB 2417 |
Ways & Means Cmt |
An Act Relating to State, Local Revenue, and Finance |
Private Sector Incentives |
| Massachusetts |
HB 4732 |
Sanchez (D) |
An Act Relative to Economic Development in the Commonwealth |
State as Model Employer |
|
New
Jersey
|
SB 104 |
Weinberg (D) |
Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act |
Raising Awareness |
|
North
Carolina
|
SB 768 |
Barringer (R) |
People First Language 2018 |
Raising Awareness |
| Ohio |
SB 144 |
Burke (R) |
Establish Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilties Council |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Pennsylvania |
HB 1641 |
Cutler (R) |
An Act Relating to Competitive Integrated Employment in State and Country Agencies |
State as Model Employer, Interagency Collaboration |
| Rhode Island |
HB 7200 |
Abney (D) |
An Act Relating to State Appropriations |
Interagency Collaboration |
| South Carolina |
HB 4093 |
Collins (R) |
Employment First Initiative Study Committee |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Tennessee |
SB 1777 |
Crowe (R) |
An Act to Amend Tennessee Code Annotated Relative to the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disabilities |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Washington |
SB 5746 |
Kuderer (D) |
An Act Relating to The Association of Washington Generals |
State as Model Employer, Interagency Collaboration |
| Washington |
SB 6032 |
Rolfes (D) |
Making Supplemental Operating Appropriations |
Interagency Collaboration |
| Wisconsin |
AB 625 |
Edming (R) |
An Act Relating to Competitive Integrated Employment of Persons with a Disability |
State as Model Employer, Interagency Collaboration |
This policy area includes legislation that strengthens programs designed to prepare students and adults with disabilities with the necessary skills to successfully enter the workforce. Key policies identified in the Work Matters framework include:
- Education policies that prepare all youth—including those with disabilities—for college and a career.
- Supporting work-based learning programs inclusive of people with disabilities.
- Promoting meaningful family engagement throughout the education and career development process.
| STATE |
BILL NUMBER |
BILL SPONSOR |
BILL TITLE |
WORK MATTERS POLICY |
| California |
AB 2915 |
Caballero (D) |
An Act to Amend the Unemployment Insurance Code Relating to Workforce Development |
Career Readiness |
| Colorado |
SB 231 |
Lambert (R) |
Transition to Community-based Services Task Force |
Career Readiness |
| Colorado |
HB 1331 |
Young (D) |
Higher Education Open Educational Resources |
Career Readiness |
| Delaware |
HB 326 |
Williams (D) |
An Act to Amend the Delaware Code Relating to the Delaware Advance Scholarship Program |
Career Readiness |
| Illinois |
SB 1453 |
McCann (R) |
Personnel-supported Employees |
Career Readiness |
Getting to and Accessing Work Opportunities
This policy area includes legislation that improves access to transportation services and promotes accessibility within the workplace. Key policies identified in the Work Matters framework include:
- Widely available and accessible transportation options for people with disabilities.
- Accessible information and communication technologies in the workplace.
| STATE |
BILL NUMBER |
BILLSPONSOR |
BILL TITLE |
WORK MATTERS POLICY |
| Alabama |
SB 85 |
Smitherman (D) |
An Act Relating to the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund |
Accessible Transportation |
| California |
SB 1376 |
Hill (D) |
Transportation Network Companies: Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities |
Accessible Transportation |
| Connecticut |
HB 5245 |
Aging Cmt |
An Act Establishing a Task Force to Study Best Practices for Providing Transportation for Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, and Veterans |
Accessible Transportation |
|
District of
Columbia
|
B 922 |
Mendelson (D) |
Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2018; Relates to Autonomous Vehicles |
Accessible Transportation |
| Missouri |
HB 2004 |
Fitzpatrick (R) |
An Act Relating to Appropriations for the Departments of Revenue and Transportation |
Accessible Transportation |
|
New
York
|
AB 9506 |
|
State Budget, Creates Access to Home for Heroes Program |
Accessible Housing |
| Vermont |
HB 10 |
O'Sullivan (D) |
An Act Relating to Transportation Network Companies |
Accessible Transportation |
| Washington |
SB 6199 |
Cleveland (D) |
An Act Relating to the Individual Provider Employment Administrator Program |
Accessible Housing |
| Washington |
SB 6106 |
Hobbs (D) |
An Act Relating to Supplemental Transportation Appropriations for 2017-2019 |
Accessible Transportation |
Staying at Work
This policy area includes legislation that supports workers experiencing a medical condition that challenges their ability to work. These policies are intended to help those workers stay on the job or re-enter the workforce following a leave of absence. Key policies identified in the Work Matters framework include:
- Supporting employee retention in the event of injury, illness or a change in status of an individual’s disability.
- Tax deductions for contributions to Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts.
| STATE |
BILL NUMBER |
BILL SPONSOR |
BILL TITLE |
WORK MATTERS POLICY |
| Colorado |
HB 1407 |
Young (D) |
Access to Disability Services and Stable Workforce |
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work |
| Iowa |
SF 2417 |
Ways & Means Cmt |
An Act Relating to State, Local Revenue, and Finance by Modifying Taxes |
ABLE Accounts |
| Kentucky |
HB 306 |
Rowland (R) |
An Act Relating to STABLE Kentucky Accounts |
ABLE Accounts |
| Virginia |
HB 916 |
Landes (R) |
Long-Term Employment Support and Extended Employment Services |
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work |
| Vermont |
HB 894 |
Government Operations Cmt |
An Act Relating to Pensions, Retirement, and Setting the Contribution Rates for Municipal Employees |
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work |
Supporting Self-employment and Entrepreneurship
This policy area includes legislation that increases access and opportunity for new and existing business owners with disabilities through entrepreneurship training and business incentives and supports. Key policies identified in the Work Matters framework include:
- State support for professional development opportunities for people with disabilities.
- State procurement and contract preferences for disability-owned business.
| STATE |
BILL NUMBER |
BILL SPONSOR |
BILL TITLE |
WORK MATTERS POLICY |
| Illinois |
HB 5214 |
Sente (D) |
An Act Relating to the Illinois Income Tax Act |
Disability-owned Businesses |
| Illinois |
SB 3106 |
Hutchinson (D) |
An Act Relating to the State Comptroller Act |
Disability-owned Businesses |
| Louisiana |
HB 754 |
Foil (R) |
An Act Relating to Certain Veteran-owned Small Entrepreneurships |
Disability-owned Businesses |
| Virginia |
SB 386 |
DeSteph (R) |
An Act Relating to the Virginia Public Procurement Act |
Disability-owned Businesses |