§781 Duties of National Council

Summary

The National Council must advise federal leaders and watch how disability programs work. It gives guidance to the Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research about research and sharing findings. It also advises the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration and other officials, including the President, Congress, and a relevant Assistant Secretary, about developing and running programs. The Council reviews recommendations from the Interagency Disability Coordinating Council, checks federal policies, programs, practices, and rules (including programs under this chapter and the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000), studies how well they meet the needs of people with disabilities, looks at how they help or hurt the goals in section 780(a)(2), gathers information on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, makes recommendations and legislative ideas, and watches new disability issues at the federal, State, local, and private levels (such as adult services, personal assistance, school reform, health care access, and rules that discourage work). By October 31, 1998, and every year after, the Council must send the President and the proper Congressional committees a report titled "National Disability Policy: A Progress Report." The report must rate the Nation’s progress on the policies in section 780(a)(2), focus on new issues affecting people with disabilities, show available data on health, housing, employment, insurance, transportation, recreation, training, prevention, early intervention, and education, include recommended policy changes, and ask the public—especially people with disabilities and their groups—for input.