Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73
§8104 Vocational rehabilitation
Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart G— - Insurance and Annuities › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - COMPENSATION FOR WORK INJURIES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERALLY › § 8104
Summary
The Labor Department can require a permanently disabled worker who is eligible for benefits to take part in vocational rehabilitation and must provide those services. The Department should use state or similar agencies when it can. The costs come from the Employees’ Compensation Fund, except for costs already fully reimbursed to a state agency under other law. While in rehab, the worker gets their regular benefit rate under the law, reduced by any pay they earn from outside jobs (but not reduced for pay from work done as part of the rehab).
Full Legal Text
Title 5, §8104
Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary of Labor may direct a permanently disabled individual whose disability is compensable under this subchapter to undergo vocational rehabilitation. The Secretary shall provide for furnishing the vocational rehabilitation services. In providing for these services, the Secretary, insofar as practicable, shall use the services or facilities of State agencies and corresponding agencies which cooperate with the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in carrying out the purposes of chapter 4 of title 29, except to the extent that the Secretary of Labor provides for furnishing these services under section 8103 of this title. The cost of providing these services to individuals undergoing vocational rehabilitation under this section shall be paid from the Employees’ Compensation Fund. However, in reimbursing a State or corresponding agency under an arrangement pursuant to this section the cost to the agency reimbursable in full under section 32(b)(1) of title 29 is excluded.
(b)Notwithstanding section 8106, individuals directed to undergo vocational rehabilitation by the Secretary shall, while undergoing such rehabilitation, receive compensation at the rate provided in section 8105 and 8110 of this title, less the amount of any earnings received from remunerative employment, other than employment undertaken pursuant to such rehabilitation.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 759(b).Oct. 14, 1949, ch. 691, § 202(a), 63 Stat. 862. In the third sentence, the words “the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare” are substituted for “him”, referring to the Administrator, on authority of section 1 (proviso) of 1950 Reorg. Plan No. 19, 64 Stat. 1271, and section 5 of 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 1, 67 Stat. 632. The words “State agencies or corresponding agencies” are substituted for “State agencies (or corresponding agencies in Territories or possessions)” as the agencies available for cooperation are set out in the Vocational Rehabilitation Act (chapter 4 of title 29). The words “section 32(b)(1) of title 29” are substituted for “section 33(a) (4) of title 29” on authority of the Act of Aug. 3, 1954, ch. 655, § 2, 68 Stat. 652. Reference is limited to section 32(b)(1) since section 32(b) (2), (3) is obsolete. Administration of this subchapter was transferred to the Secretary of Labor by section 1 of 1950 Reorg. Plan No. 19, 64 Stat. 1271 (see section 8145). Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Chapter 4 of title 29, referred to in subsec. (a), refers to the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, act
June 2, 1920, ch. 219, 41 Stat. 735, as amended. section 32(b)(1) of title 29, also referred to in subsec. (a) (enacted Sept. 6, 1966), did not reflect amendment of section 32(b) by Pub. L. 89–333 § 2(a), Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1282, which eliminated obsolete pars. (2) and (3) and redesignated par. (1) provisions as subsec. (b) and amended such subsection. section 32(b) of title 29, refers to section 2(b) of act
June 2, 1920, as amended. Such provisions were repealed by former section 500(a) of Pub. L. 93–112, title V, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 390, and pursuant to former section 500(a) of Pub. L. 93–112, which also provided that references to the Vocational Rehabilitation Act in other provisions of law were to be deemed a reference to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and were covered by section 701 et seq. and 731(a), respectively, of Title 29, Labor.
Amendments
1974—Pub. L. 93–416 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1974 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 93–416 applicable to cases where injury or death occurred prior to Sept. 7, 1974, but only to a period beginning on or after Sept. 7, 1974, see section 28(a) of Pub. L. 93–416, set out as a note under section 8101 of this title.
Transfer of Functions
For
Transfer of Functions
and offices (relating to Rehabilitation Act of 1973) of Secretary and Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary and Department of Education, see section 3441 of Title 20, Education.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
5 U.S.C. § 8104
Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73