Bill Summary
The "State Department Disability Policy and Accommodations Act" establishes a comprehensive framework for integrating international disability rights into U.S. foreign policy, emphasizing their importance for global peace and prosperity. Key provisions of the Act include the development of an official policy by the Secretary of State within 180 days, which involves consultations with diverse stakeholders, including individuals with disabilities.
The legislation mandates the creation of an Office of International Disability Rights within the State Department, led by an Ambassador-at-Large, to coordinate U.S. efforts and promote accessibility and equality for persons with disabilities worldwide. A comprehensive strategy outlining these efforts must be submitted within one year, detailing target countries and partnerships. The Act also requires annual reporting to Congress on progress and funding allocations, with $6 million authorized annually from 2026 to 2030 for its implementation.
Moreover, the legislation emphasizes the need for training State Department personnel on disability policy, ensuring compliance with accessibility standards, and promoting best practices in international disability engagement. It introduces a fellowship program aimed at enhancing expertise in disability rights within the Department of State, highlighting the significance of these rights as fundamental to human rights and economic growth. Overall, the Act seeks to elevate the rights and needs of persons with disabilities in U.S. international efforts and ensure the accessibility of government services.
Possible Impacts
1. **Enhanced Global Engagement on Disability Rights**: The establishment of the Office of International Disability Rights within the State Department will significantly impact individuals with disabilities both domestically and internationally. This office, led by an Ambassador-at-Large, will coordinate U.S. efforts to promote accessibility and equality for persons with disabilities worldwide. As a result, individuals with disabilities in target countries may see improved access to resources and support, fostering their rights and inclusion in society.
2. **Increased Accessibility and Compliance in U.S. Foreign Missions**: The legislation mandates that U.S. hiring practices and facilities comply with accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities. This will not only enhance the work environment for employees with disabilities within the State Department but also ensure that U.S. embassies and missions are more accessible to individuals with disabilities in host countries. As a result, these individuals will have better access to government services and programs, promoting their rights and engagement.
3. **Training and Capacity Building for State Department Personnel**: The requirement for comprehensive disability policy training for all State Department personnel will lead to a more informed and responsive diplomatic workforce. By equipping personnel with the knowledge to address the needs of people with disabilities and engage with local disability organizations, the legislation will foster more inclusive foreign assistance programs. This training will directly benefit individuals with disabilities by ensuring that U.S. humanitarian responses and foreign aid initiatives are tailored to address their specific needs and barriers.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7990 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7990
To provide for an international disability rights strategy, and for
other purposes. provide for an international disability rights
strategy, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 18, 2026
Ms. Titus (for herself and Mr. Olszewski) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for an international disability rights strategy, and for
other purposes. provide for an international disability rights
strategy, and for other purposes.
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 ``State Department Disability Policy
and Accommodations Act''.
SEC. 2. DISABILITY RIGHTS IN FOREIGN POLICY.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
international disability rights are foundational to achieving global
peace, stability, and prosperity, and should be fully championed as a
focus of United States diplomacy and development efforts.
(b) Formal Policy Guidance on Disability Policy.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, through the
Ambassador-at-Large for International Disability Rights and in
consultation with relevant foreign affairs agencies, shall
develop and adopt a formal policy for advancing disability
rights through United States diplomacy and foreign assistance.
(2) Matters to be included.--The policy required under
paragraph (1) should direct the Department of State's approach
to championing disability rights through the conduct of United
States diplomacy and development.
(3) Consultation.--In developing and adopting the policy,
the Secretary shall consult with--
(A) United States missions and regional and
functional bureaus;
(B) individuals with disabilities, civil society
organizations, international nongovernmental
organizations, and international organizations;
(C) women, indigenous persons, youth, and survivors
of violence living with disabilities; and
(D) combat-injured persons living with
disabilities, including United States security partners
and allies, in countries and regions receiving United
States security assistance.
(4) Policy implementation.--The Secretary shall update the
Foreign Affairs Manual to reflect the policy required under
paragraph (1).
(5) Public availability.--The Secretary shall publish such
policy on a publicly available website of the Department.
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY RIGHTS.
(a) In General.--Section 5104 of the Department of State
Authorization Act of 2021 (division D of Public Law 117-81; 135 Stat.
2345) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``should be
established'' and inserting ``shall be established'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) as
subsections (c) through (e), respectively;
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new
subsection:
``(b) Purpose.--The Office shall coordinate and elevate United
States global engagement on disability rights policy, ensuring that the
Department of State and relevant Federal agencies promote
accessibility, equality of opportunity, and the protection of the
rights of persons with disabilities globally.'';
(4) in subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``The Office should'' and inserting
``The Office shall'';
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4),
(5), (6), (7), and (8) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4),
(5), (6), (7), (8), and (12), respectively;
(C) by inserting before paragraph (2), as
redesignated by subparagraph (B), the following new
paragraph:
``(1) coordinate all international disability policy and
international assistance provided by the United States
Government, in consultation with relevant and appropriate
regional and functional bureaus of the Department and Chiefs of
Mission, to support efforts abroad to promote and strengthen
respect for the rights of persons with disabilities;''; and
(D) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by
striking ``disabilities; and'' and inserting the
following: ``disabilities;
``(9) coordinate disaggregated data collection regarding
the United States Government's foreign assistance and
diplomatic activities promoting the rights of persons with
disabilities, in coordination with the Secretary of State and
the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, including to the
extent feasible--
``(A) a detailed accounting of spending by Federal
departments and agencies, including, for each Federal
department and agency, the statutory source of
spending;
``(B) the amounts spent; and
``(C) activities supported to the extent
practicable and appropriate;
``(10) establish interagency details or rotation
opportunities for relevant Federal agencies to be housed within
the Office for the purposes of--
``(A) augmenting the Office's ability to share best
practices on advancing disability rights policy with
United States missions and with international partners;
and
``(B) strengthening the Office's United States
interagency coordination efforts;
``(11) work with relevant bureaus to promote the use of
existing educational and cultural exchanges with international
disability policymakers and advocates; and'';
(5) by amending subsection (d), as so redesignated, to read
as follows:
``(d) Ambassador-at-Large for International Disability Rights.--The
Office shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for International
Disability Rights, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate, to advise the Secretary of State
on matters related to disability rights. The Ambassador-at-Large should
be a person of recognized distinction in the field of disability
rights. The Ambassador-at-Large shall be provided with appropriate
funding and staff consistent with the duties of the Office and with
Department of State guidance on the status of an Office.''; and
(6) by adding at the end the following new sub-section:
``(f) International Disability Rights Strategy.--
``(1) Strategy.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Ambassador-at-Large appointed under
subsection (d), and in consultation with the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations,
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
strategy to--
``(A) achieve the purposes described in subsection
(b);
``(B) identify target countries and regions for
prioritization of the Department's international
assistance efforts related to the rights of persons
with disabilities;
``(C) identify United States foreign assistance
resources to be used to implement the strategy;
``(D) establish country action plans to advance the
rights of persons with disabilities; and
``(E) develop partnerships with the private sector,
nongovernmental organizations, international
organizations, and research and academic institutions.
``(2) Annual report.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than one year after
submission of the strategy required under paragraph
(1), and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State,
in consultation with the Ambassador-at-Large for
International Disability Rights and relevant Federal
agencies, should provide the appropriate congressional
committees with a written description of results
achieved, including--
``(i) progress on implementation of the
strategy;
``(ii) an assessment of efforts to
coordinate United States international
disability rights activities and initiatives
with foreign governments, international
organizations, nongovernmental organizations,
and other key stakeholders related to the
rights of persons with disabilities;
``(iii) a detailed accounting of spending
by the Department of State, the United States
Agency for International Development, and other
relevant Federal agencies on United States
international disability rights assistance to
foreign governments international organizations
related to the rights of persons with
disabilities; and
``(iv) the number of educational and
cultural exchanges focused on advancing
international disability rights.
``(B) Disaggregation of data.--The data submitted
under subparagraph (A) should, where feasible, be
disaggregated by country, gender of recipients of
assistance, funding account, funding levels, and fiscal
year of funding.
``(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In
this subsection, the term `appropriate congressional
committees' means--
``(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of State $6,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2030, to achieve the purposes described in
subsection (b) of section 5104 of the Department of State Authorization
Act of 2021, as amended by subsection (a) of this section.
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENTAL HIRING AND FACILITIES ACCESSIBILITY.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary of State for Management shall,
in consultation with the Office of International Disability Rights,
ensure equal access to hiring and recruitment and overseas assignments,
for the Civil Service and Foreign Service officers and locally employed
staff with disabilities and their family members with chronic medical
conditions or disabilities, consistent with the provision of a
veterans' preference in accordance with section 2108 of title 5, United
States Code, and related sections and with due consideration for
locally employed staff who sustained service-related disabilities while
serving as security partners or allies in support of United States
military or intelligence operations.
(b) Duties.--The Under Secretary shall--
(1) ensure that United States embassies, consulates, and
leased facilities abroad are in compliance with United States
Access Board standards, including accessibility to people with
disabilities, including by--
(A) making websites and other forms of
communication accessible to people with disabilities
and providing reasonable accommodations to program
participants;
(B) ensuring accessibility of United States
Government facilities by contracting with local
contractors and subcontractors that meet the
requirements of section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 793) to affirmatively hire workers
with disabilities, including combat-injured persons
with disabilities who served alongside United States
forces or in United States-backed conflicts; and
(C) consulting with the Department of Labor's
Office of Federal Contracts Compliance to ensure all
Department of State contractors are compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12101 et seq.) and section 503 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 793);
(2) ensure that the policies and practices for the
recruitment and placement of Foreign Service officers and their
families encourage the hiring and placement of people with
disabilities in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.);
(3) consult with the Disability Rights Section of the Civil
Rights Division of the Department of Justice to ensure that
Department of State hiring is compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and section
501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791); and
(4) ensure that policies are in place for hiring locally
employed staff in embassies and consulates outside the United
States to ensure that accommodations are offered, provided, and
funded from the Department's centralized reasonable
accommodation fund, including specialized accommodations for
injuries sustained in support of United States national
security interests.
(c) Facility Accessibility.--The Under Secretary for Management
shall, in consultation with the Office of International Disability
Rights--
(1) ensure that embassies and consulates and their services
are accessible to people with disabilities, including with
respect to--
(A) the physical accessibility of facilities
housing embassies and consulates;
(B) websites of United States embassies and
consulates;
(C) public internet and telecommunications; and
(D) other means of communication with United States
residents and the general public; and
(2) ensure diplomatic residences meet the adaptable
standards set by the Director of the Bureau of Overseas
Buildings Operations.
SEC. 5. TRAINING.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall require online or in-
person disability policy training for all civil service and Foreign
Service personnel of the Department of State and chiefs of mission,
including on--
(1) how to develop policies and programs that reflect
United States disability policy priorities;
(2) how to help ensure a work environment in compliance
with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973;
(3) how to conduct analyses of relevant laws and
programming;
(4) how to engage local organizations led by and focused on
people with disabilities;
(5) how to help remove barriers to seeking and accessing
United States foreign assistance for organizations serving
people with disabilities; and
(6) ensuring United States humanitarian response
incorporates and elevates the needs of people with
disabilities, in line with established international
frameworks, including the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
(IASC) guidelines and the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with
Disabilities in Humanitarian Action.
(b) Country-Specific and Cultural Considerations.--The Secretary
shall ensure that training for Foreign Service officers under
subsection (a) includes country-specific and cultural considerations.
(c) Foreign Service Officers.--Section 708(a)(1) of the Foreign
Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4028(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new
subparagraph:
``(D) instruction on recognizing risks and
vulnerabilities of individuals with disabilities in
specific country contexts, addressing needs of people
with disabilities in policymaking and outreach at
United States embassies and analysis of disability-
inclusive laws and programming in local country
contexts; and''.
SEC. 6. REPORT AND BRIEFING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State
shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a
report and briefing on the steps taken to implement this Act.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report and briefing required under
subsection (a) shall include--
(1) an explanation of policies and programs to fulfill--
(A) the duties of the Office of International
Disability Rights established under section 4; and
(B) the training requirements under section 6;
(2) a description of the status of efforts to mainstream
disability policy through the conduct of United States
diplomatic outreach and programming without regard to whether
such programming is specifically directed toward people with
disabilities;
(3) an explanation of disability-specific programming
across the Department;
(4) a description of the status of accessible facilities in
all foreign missions, as required under section 5(c);
(5) a description of any policy, programming, or human
resources gaps to mainstreaming disability rights policy
throughout the Department, and plans to address gaps through
appropriate mechanisms;
(6) a description of progress made on the realization of
the rights of people with disabilities as a result of
Department policies and programming;
(7) an explanation of the current status of the
Department's evidence gathering and improved systematic
disability data collection, including the use of disaggregated
data, in order to ensure that programming, monitoring, and
reporting reflect and address the risks and needs of people
with disabilities; and
(8) recommendations for legislative actions to fully
implement the matters described in paragraphs (1) through (7).
SEC. 7. JUDY HEUMANN FOREIGN AND CIVIL SERVICE DISABILITY FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) disability rights are foundational to human rights,
national security, and positive economic growth and
development; and
(2) the Department of State shall seek to expand
professional development opportunities for civil service and
Foreign Service personnel to become better equipped to advance
disability rights abroad and to ensure an accessible and
inclusive workplace at the Department and United States
missions abroad.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of State.
(2) Organization of persons with disabilities.--The term
``organization of persons with disabilities'' means a
nongovernmental civil society organization, including a think
tank, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, academic
institution, or other organization, that--
(A) includes staff leadership and a board of
directors the majority of which consists of people with
disabilities; and
(B) serves people with disabilities.
(c) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish and
administer the Judy Heumann Foreign Service Disability Fellowship
(referred in this section as the ``Fellowship'') to expand Department
expertise on disability rights policy formulation, execution,
negotiation, and advocacy. The Secretary shall be responsible for
designing, implementing, and operating the Fellowship program,
including setting standards for successful completion of each
fellowship.
(d) Selection of Fellows.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall establish
criteria for selecting the fellows and shall play a central
role in selecting at least 2 fellows for the Fellowship each
year.
(2) Selection and placement.--The Secretary of State
shall--
(A) make efforts to recruit fellowship candidates
who reflect the diversity of the United States;
(B) select fellows from among entry-, mid-, and
senior-level Foreign Service and civil service
personnel;
(C) approve fellowship placements between 6 months
to one year in duration;
(D) facilitate fellowship placement with an
organization of persons with disabilities;
(E) for each fellow, establish performance goals
and performance indicators as part of fellows' annual
review process; and
(F) reimburse one international trip and one
domestic trip per fellow.
(e) Fellowship Activities.--Fellows participating in the Fellowship
program shall--
(1) study the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, done at New York December 12, 2006;
(2) attend the Conference of States Parties to the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP)
along with one member of the hosting organization of persons
with disabilities; and
(3) carry out such other activities as the Ambassador-at-
Large for International Disability Rights determines
appropriate.
(f) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
completion of the Fellowship by the initial cohort of fellows selected
under subsection (d), and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a
report on the implementation of the Fellowship, including--
(1) a summary of the cohort of fellows who completed a
fellowship during the preceding one-year period;
(2) a description of the fellowships and placements,
including feedback on implementation and lessons learned; and
(3) an analysis of trends relating to the diversity of each
cohort of fellows since the establishment of the Fellowship
program.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026 and
each subsequent fiscal year to carry out this Act.
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