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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Despite nearly 25 years of the Americans with
3Disabilities Act, people with disabilities continue to face
4barriers to equal opportunity in employment; in 2011, the
5employment rate of adults with disabilities was 33.4%, as
6compared to 75.6% for others; the full-time/full-year
7employment rate for people with disabilities was 20.7%, as
8compared with 55.5% for others; and
 
9    WHEREAS, On August 27, 2013 the United States Department of
10Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
11announced a final rule to the regulations implementing Section
12503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Section 503 prohibits federal contractors and
14subcontractors from discriminating in employment against
15individuals with disabilities, and requires these employers to
16take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain
17these individuals; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The final rule strengthens the affirmative action
19provisions of the regulations to aid contractors in their
20efforts to recruit and hire individuals with disabilities,
21improves job opportunities for individuals with disabilities
22and makes changes to the nondiscrimination provisions of the

 

 

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1regulations to bring them into compliance with the Americans
2with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The final rule sets a workforce goal of 7% for
4individuals with disabilities; this requirement is not a quota,
5but a way to ensure that contractors include disability in
6their strategies around recruitment and hiring; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The final rule also includes provisions to invite
8applicants and existing employees to voluntarily self-identify
9as a person with a disability at both the job-application stage
10and after a job offer has been made; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The final rule requires that contractors document
12and update annually several qualitative comparisons for the
13number of individuals with disabilities who apply for jobs and
14the number of individuals with disabilities they hire; having
15this data will assist contractors in measuring the
16effectiveness of their outreach and recruitment efforts; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The final rule also brings the Section 503
18regulations into compliance with the Americans with
19Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 which expanded the
20definition of disability, and calls for employers to review
21their policies and practices to ensure they are in compliance
22with the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008;

 

 

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1and
 
2    WHEREAS, Illinois has continually been a leader in ensuring
3that individuals with disabilities have access to job
4opportunities and full-time employment with an employment rate
5of working age individuals with disabilities continually
6higher than that of the national average; therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9we commend the U.S. Department of Labor for its rule changes to
10Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and be it
11further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the State of Illinois will encourage and
13assist federal contractors and subcontractors in the hiring of
14individuals with disabilities; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent
16to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.