119th Congress · introduced in the House · Feb 10, 2025
Blind Americans Return to Work Act of 2025
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Feb 10, 2025): Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Social Welfare
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in House (Feb 10, 2025)
Blind Americans Return to Work Act of 2025
This bill requires the Social Security Administration to carry out a demonstration project during which blind Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries receive reduced benefits commensurate with income above certain thresholds.
Under current law, only individuals who earn under a specified monthly income, known as the substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold, are considered disabled and thereby eligible for SSDI benefits. For blind workers, this limit is $2,700 per month in 2025. SSDI beneficiaries may earn beyond the SGA threshold for a limited period of time, known as the trial work period, before their benefits are suspended and ultimately terminate.
The bill establishes a 20-year demonstration project during which individuals who are entitled to SSDI benefits by reason of blindness and who earn above the SGA threshold continue to receive benefits at an amount gradually reduced commensurate with their earnings beyond a specified amount.
During this period, blind workers’ SSDI benefits must be reduced by $1 for every $2 that a worker earns above the sum of (1) the SGA threshold, and (2) the worker’s expenses reasonably attributable to their work. The SGA threshold may not be used to determine whether an individual is disabled during this period, and blind workers’ SSDI benefits may not be terminated due to work-related earnings. The trial work period also must not apply.
After 10 years, affected beneficiaries may opt out of the modified benefits structure.
Includes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
Disability and paralysis · Disability assistance · Hearing, speech, and vision care
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 24, 2026.
7 citations.
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 16, 2026 · issue area: Retirement
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
Remove the earnings cliff for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and replace it with a two-for-one phaseout. Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R. 1175. S. 4334. Eliminate the five-month waiting period associated with Social Security Disability Insurance. We Can't Wait Act of 2026. S. 3924. H.R. 10193. Authori…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 20, 2026 · issue area: Retirement
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
Remove the earnings cliff for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and replace it with a two-for-one phaseout. Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R. 1175. S. 4334. Eliminate the five-month waiting period associated with Social Security Disability Insurance. We Can't Wait Act of 2026. S. 3924.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 16, 2026 · issue area: Retirement
$30,000
Spent on own lobbying
Remove the earnings cliff for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and replace it with a two-for-one phaseout. Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R. 1175. Eliminate the five-month waiting period associated with Social Security Disability Insurance. We Can't Wait Act of 2026. S. 3924.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 13, 2026 · issue area: Retirement
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
Remove the earnings cliff for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and replace it with a two-for-one phaseout. Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R. 1175. Eliminate the five-month waiting period associated with Social Security Disability Insurance.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 14, 2025 · issue area: Retirement
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
Remove the earnings cliff for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and replace it with a two-for-one phaseout. Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R. 1175. Eliminate the five-month waiting period associated with Social Security Disability Insurance.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
2025 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025) · posted Jul 18, 2025 · issue area: Retirement
$20,000
Spent on own lobbying
Remove the earnings cliff for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and replace it with a two-for-one phaseout. Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R. 1175. Eliminate the five-month waiting period associated with Social Security Disability Insurance.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND · lobbying firm or registrant: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
2025 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2025) · posted Apr 14, 2025 · issue area: Retirement
$30,000
Spent on own lobbying
Remove the earnings cliff for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and replace it with a two-for-one phaseout. Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R. 1175. Eliminate the five-month waiting period associated with Social Security Disability Insurance.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing