Official Summaries

Blind Americans Return to Work Act of 2025

This bill requires the Social Security Administration to carry out a demonstration project during which blind Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries receive reduced benefits commensurate with income above certain thresholds.

Under current law, only individuals who earn under a specified monthly income, known as the substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold, are considered disabled and thereby eligible for SSDI benefits. For blind workers, this limit is $2,700 per month in 2025. SSDI beneficiaries may earn beyond the SGA threshold for a limited period of time, known as the trial work period, before their benefits are suspended and ultimately terminate.

The bill establishes a 20-year demonstration project during which individuals who are entitled to SSDI benefits by reason of blindness and who earn above the SGA threshold continue to receive benefits at an amount gradually reduced commensurate with their earnings beyond a specified amount.

During this period, blind workers’ SSDI benefits must be reduced by $1 for every $2 that a worker earns above the sum of (1) the SGA threshold, and (2) the worker’s expenses reasonably attributable to their work. The SGA threshold may not be used to determine whether an individual is disabled during this period, and blind workers’ SSDI benefits may not be terminated due to work-related earnings. The trial work period also must not apply. 

After 10 years, affected beneficiaries may opt out of the modified benefits structure. 

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1175 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1175

      To amend title II of the Social Security Act to require the 
 Commissioner of Social Security to carry out a demonstration project 
         relating to disability benefits of blind individuals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2025

  Mr. Sessions (for himself, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Fields, and Mr. Valadao) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To amend title II of the Social Security Act to require the 
 Commissioner of Social Security to carry out a demonstration project 
         relating to disability benefits of blind individuals.

    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 ``Blind Americans Return to Work Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR BLIND AMERICANS.

    Title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 235. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR BLIND AMERICANS.

    ``(a) In General.--For a 20-year period beginning not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commissioner 
shall carry out the demonstration project described in subsection (b).
    ``(b) Benefit Offset.--
            ``(1) In general.--The demonstration project described in 
        this subsection is a project under which benefits under section 
        223 are modified pursuant to paragraph (2) for individuals--
                    ``(A) who are entitled to a benefit under 223(a)(1) 
                for a month during the 120-month period beginning with 
                the first month of the 20-year period described in 
                subsection (a); and
                    ``(B) whose disability is by reason of blindness 
                (as defined in section 216(i)(1)).
            ``(2) Modification.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the 
        benefit under section 223 of an individual described in 
        paragraph (1) is modified as follows:
                    ``(A) In determining eligibility for such benefit, 
                a determination of whether the individual is disabled 
                under section 223(d)(1)(B) shall be made without 
                respect to substantial gainful activity.
                    ``(B) Any benefit payable to the individual for a 
                month (other than a benefit payable for any month prior 
                to the first month beginning after the date on which 
                the individual's entitlement to such benefit is 
                determined) shall be reduced, except such benefit may 
                not be reduced below $0, by $1 for every $2 by which 
                the individual's earnings derived from services paid 
                during such month exceeds the sum of--
                            ``(i) the exempt amount described in 
                        section 223(d)(4)(A); and
                            ``(ii) an amount equal to the individual's 
                        expenses reasonably attributable to the earning 
                        of any income for such month.
                    ``(C) Entitlement to any such benefit shall not 
                terminate due to earnings derived from services.
                    ``(D) The period of trial work described in section 
                222(c) shall not apply.
                    ``(E) The provisions related to the termination 
                month in subsection (a)(1) of section 223 shall not 
                apply.
    ``(c) Authority To Waive Compliance With Certain Requirements.--In 
carrying out the demonstration project under this section, the 
Commissioner may waive compliance with the benefit requirements of this 
title and the requirements of section 1148 as they relate to the 
programs established under this title, insofar as necessary to carry 
out the demonstration project.
    ``(d) Opt Out.--After the 120-month period described in subsection 
(b)(1)(A), an individual described in such subsection may opt out of 
the demonstration project.''.
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