Title 29, LaborRelease 119-110

§780 Establishment of National Council on Disability

Title 29 › CHAPTER 16 — VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND OTHER REHABILITATION SERVICES › SUBCHAPTER IV — NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY › § 780

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a National Council on Disability with 9 members. Five members are chosen by the President. One is chosen by the Senate Majority Leader, one by the Senate Minority Leader, one by the Speaker of the House, and one by the House Minority Leader. The Council moved from 15 members to 9 after July 22, 2014. On the first four Council term expirations after that date, replacements are added in this order: Senate Majority, Senate Minority, House Speaker, House Minority. On the next six expirations no one is replaced. After the change, any vacancy is filled the same way the original member was chosen. Members must be people with disabilities, parents or guardians, leaders on disability policy, or others with strong knowledge about disability issues. They must represent groups like disability organizations, service providers, researchers, businesses, and labor. Most members must be people with disabilities. The Council’s job is to promote policies and programs that ensure equal opportunity for all people with disabilities and help them gain economic independence, live independently, and take part fully in society. Each member serves a 3-year term. No one may serve more than two full 3-year terms in a row. Members can stay on until their successors take office. If someone fills a vacancy, they only serve the rest of that term. The President picks the Chair from the members. The Council meets when the Chair calls a meeting, but at least four times a year. Five members make a quorum. Having open seats does not stop the Council from working.

Full Legal Text

Title 29, §780

Labor, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Membership; purpose
(1)(A)There is established within the Federal Government a National Council on Disability (referred to in this subchapter as the “National Council”), which, subject to subparagraph (B), shall be composed of 9 members, of which—
(i)5 shall be appointed by the President;
(ii)1 shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate;
(iii)1 shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;
(iv)1 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(v)1 shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(B)The National Council shall transition from 15 members (as of July 22, 2014) to 9 members as follows:
(i)On the first 4 expirations of National Council terms (after that date), replacement members shall be appointed to the National Council in the following order and manner:
(I)1 shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate.
(II)1 shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
(III)1 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(IV)1 shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(ii)On the next 6 expirations of National Council terms (after the 4 expirations described in clause (i) occur), no replacement members shall be appointed to the National Council.
(C)For any vacancy on the National Council that occurs after the transition described in subparagraph (B), the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.
(D)The members of the National Council shall be individuals with disabilities, parents or guardians of individuals with disabilities, national leaders on disability policy, or other individuals who have substantial knowledge or experience relating to disability policy or issues that affect individuals with disabilities. The members of the National Council shall be appointed so as to be representative of individuals with disabilities, national organizations concerned with individuals with disabilities, providers and administrators of services to individuals with disabilities, individuals engaged in conducting medical or scientific research relating to individuals with disabilities, business concerns, and labor organizations. A majority of the members of the National Council shall be individuals with disabilities. The members of the National Council shall be broadly representative of minority and other individuals and groups.
(2)The purpose of the National Council is to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that—
(A)guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and
(B)empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.
(b)Term of office
(1)Each member of the National Council shall serve for a term of 3 years.
(2)(A)No member of the National Council may serve more than two consecutive full terms beginning on the date of commencement of the first full term on the Council. Members may serve after the expiration of their terms until their successors have taken office.
(B)As used in this paragraph, the term “full term” means a term of 3 years.
(3)Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which such member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term.
(c)Chairperson; meetings
The President shall designate the Chairperson from among the members appointed to the National Council. The National Council shall meet at the call of the Chairperson, but not less often than four times each year.
(d)Quorum; vacancies
Five members of the National Council shall constitute a quorum and any vacancy in the National Council shall not affect its power to function.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 780, Pub. L. 93–112, title IV, § 400, as added Pub. L. 95–602, title I, § 117, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2977; amended Pub. L. 98–221, title I, § 141(a), Feb. 22, 1984, 98 Stat. 26; Pub. L. 99–506, title I, § 103(d)(2)(C), title V, § 501, title X, § 1001(e), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1810, 1828, 1843; Pub. L. 100–630, title II, § 205(b), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3310; Pub. L. 102–569, title I, § 102(p)(26), title IV, § 401, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4360, 4421, related to establishment of the National Council on Disability, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 105–220. Another prior section 780, Pub. L. 93–112, title IV, § 400, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 385, related to general administrative powers of Secretary under this chapter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 95–602, § 117.

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–18 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “(b)(1) Each member of the National Council shall serve for a term of 3 years. “(2)(A) No member of the National Council may serve more than two consecutive full terms beginning on the date of commencement of the first full term on the Council. Members may serve after the expiration of their terms until their successors have taken office. “(B) As used in this paragraph, the term ‘full term’ means a term of 3 years. “(3) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which such member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term.” 2014—Subsec. (a)(1)(A) to (C). Pub. L. 113–128, § 451(1)(B), added subpars. (A) to (C) and struck out former subpars. (A) and (B) which read as follows: “(1)(A) There is established within the Federal Government a National Council on Disability (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the ‘National Council’), which shall be composed of fifteen members appointed by the President. “(B) The President shall select members of the National Council after soliciting recommendations from representatives of— “(i) organizations representing a broad range of individuals with disabilities; and “(ii) organizations interested in individuals with disabilities.” Former subpar. (C) redesignated (D). Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 113–128, § 451(1)(C), inserted “national leaders on disability policy,” after “guardians of individuals with disabilities,” and substituted “policy or issues that affect individuals with disabilities” for “policy or programs”. Pub. L. 113–128, § 451(1)(A), redesignated subpar. (C) as (D). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–128, § 451(2), which directed substitution of a period for “ ‘, except’ and all that follows”, was executed by substituting a period for “, except that the terms of service of the members initially appointed after November 6, 1978, shall be (as specified by the President) for such fewer number of years as will provide for the expiration of terms on a staggered basis.” in par. (1), to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–128, § 451(3), substituted “Five” for “Eight”. 2012—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 112–166 struck out “, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate” before period at end.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2015 Amendment Pub. L. 114–18, § 3(b),
May 22, 2015, 129 Stat. 214, provided that: “The amendment made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect as if enacted 1 day after the date of enactment of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [Pub. L. 113–128, approved
July 22, 2014] (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.).”

Effective Date

of 2012 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–166 effective 60 days after Aug. 10, 2012, and applicable to appointments made on and after that

Effective Date

, including any nomination pending in the Senate on that date, see section 6(a) of Pub. L. 112–166, set out as a note under section 113 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

29 U.S.C. § 780

Title 29, Labor

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110