[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3864 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.3864
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the fourth day of January, two thousand and five
An Act
To assist individuals with disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina or
Rita through vocational rehabilitation services.
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 ``Assistance for Individuals with
Disabilities Affected by Hurricane Katrina or Rita Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Affected state.--The term ``affected State'' means a State
that contains an area, or that received a significant number of
individuals who resided in an area, in which the President has
declared that a major disaster exists.
(2) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
(3) Individual with a disability.--The term ``individual with a
disability'' has the meaning given the term in section 7(20)(A) of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 705(20)(A)).
(4) Individual with a disability affected by hurricane
katrina.--The term ``individual with a disability affected by
Hurricane Katrina'' means an individual with a disability who
resided on August 22, 2005, in an area in which the President has
declared that a major disaster related to Hurricane Katrina exists.
(5) Individual with a disability affected by hurricane rita.--
The term ``individual with a disability affected by Hurricane
Rita'' means an individual with a disability who resided in an area
on the date that was 7 days before the date on which the President
declared that a major disaster related to Hurricane Rita exists in
such area.
(6) Major disaster.--The term ``major disaster'' means a major
disaster declared by the President in accordance with the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5121 et seq.), related to Hurricane Katrina or Rita.
(b) Reallotments of Amounts.--
(1) In general.--In reallotting amounts to States under section
110(b)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 730(b)(2))
for fiscal year 2005, the Commissioner shall give preference to
affected States.
(2) Waivers.--If the Commissioner reallots amounts under
section 110(b)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to an affected
State for fiscal year 2005, or returns to the State of Louisiana
for fiscal year 2005 the funds that Louisiana had previously
relinquished pursuant to section 110(b)(1) of that Act (29 U.S.C.
730(b)(1)) due to an inability to meet the non-Federal share
requirements requiring Louisiana to contribute $3,942,821 for
fiscal year 2005, the Commissioner may grant a waiver of non-
Federal share requirements for fiscal year 2005 for the affected
State or Louisiana, respectively.
(3) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``non-Federal
share requirements'' means non-Federal share requirements
applicable to programs under title I of such Act (29 U.S.C. 720 et
seq.).
(c) Use of Amounts Reallotted Under Title I of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973.--An affected State that receives amounts reallotted under
section 110(b)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
730(b)(2)) for fiscal year 2005 (as described in subsection (b)) or
returned under subsection (b) may use the amounts--
(1) to pay for vocational rehabilitation services described in
section 103 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 723)
(which may include training, mentoring, or job shadowing
opportunities), for individuals with disabilities affected by
Hurricane Katrina or individuals with disabilities affected by
Hurricane Rita, that contribute to the economic growth and
development of communities;
(2) to enable--
(A) individuals with disabilities affected by Hurricane
Katrina to participate in reconstruction or other major
disaster assistance activities in the areas in which the
individuals resided on August 22, 2005; and
(B) individuals with disabilities affected by Hurricane
Rita to participate in reconstruction or other major disaster
assistance activities in the areas in which the individuals
resided on the date that was 7 days before the date on which
the President declared that a major disaster related to
Hurricane Rita exists in such areas;
(3) to pay for vocational rehabilitation services described in
section 103 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for individuals with
disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina, or individuals with
disabilities affected by Hurricane Rita, who do not meet the
affected State's order of selection criteria for the affected
State's order of selection under section 101(a)(5) of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 721(a)(5)); or
(4) to carry out other activities in accordance with title I of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.