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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · 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.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
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.
People & committees
Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17] · R–TX
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 19, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-10 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Blind Americans Return to Work Act of 2025 would create a 20-year demonstration project changing disability benefit rules for eligible people whose disability is blindness. Payments would fall by $1 for every $2 earned above an earnings allowance plus qualifying work expenses. Earnings could reduce payments to zero, but would not end entitlement to benefits.
This Act may be cited as the Blind Americans Return to Work Act of 2025.
For a 20-year period beginning not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commissioner shall carry out the demonstration project described in subsection (b).
whose disability is by reason of blindness (as defined in section 216(i)(1)).
shall be reduced, except such benefit may not be reduced below $0, by $1 for every $2 by which the individual’s earnings derived from services paid during such month exceeds the sum of— (i) the exempt amount described in section 223(d)(4)(A); and (ii) an amount equal to the individual’s expenses reasonably attributable to the earning of any income for such month.
Entitlement to any such benefit shall not terminate due to earnings derived from services.
Section 2 would add a new section 235 to Title II of the Social Security Act. It would require the Commissioner to run the project for 20 years, starting no later than 180 days after enactment. These are proposed requirements, with no fixed calendar start date.
Title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 235. Demonstration project for blind Americans (a) In general For a 20-year period beginning not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commissioner shall carry out the demonstration project described in subsection (b).
The project would cover people entitled to the specified disability benefit for a month during the project's first 120 months, or 10 years, whose disability is blindness under the referenced statutory definition. It would not cover every blind person automatically.
The demonstration project described in this subsection is a project under which benefits under section 223 are modified pursuant to paragraph (2) for individuals— (A) who are entitled to a benefit under 223(a)(1) for a month during the 120-month period beginning with the first month of the 20-year period described in subsection (a); and (B) whose disability is by reason of blindness (as defined in section 216(i)(1)).
For covered people, the disability determination under the specified provision would disregard 'substantial gainful activity,' the referenced criterion concerning work activity. The bill does not reproduce that criterion's existing definition.
In determining eligibility for such benefit, a determination of whether the individual is disabled under section 223(d)(1)(B) shall be made without respect to substantial gainful activity.
Monthly benefits would be reduced by $1 for every $2 of earnings from services paid that month above a combined allowance: the statutory exempt amount plus expenses reasonably attributable to earning income that month. Payments could not fall below zero. This reduction would exclude benefit months before the first month beginning after entitlement is determined.
Any benefit payable to the individual for a month (other than a benefit payable for any month prior to the first month beginning after the date on which the individual’s entitlement to such benefit is determined) shall be reduced, except such benefit may not be reduced below $0, by $1 for every $2 by which the individual’s earnings derived from services paid during such month exceeds the sum of— (i) the exempt amount described in section 223(d)(4)(A); and (ii) an amount equal to the individual’s expenses reasonably attributable to the earning of any income for such month.
Earnings from services would not terminate a covered person's entitlement. The existing trial-work period and the referenced rules about the month benefits terminate would not apply. The text does not reproduce those existing rules or eliminate other possible grounds for ending entitlement.
(C) Entitlement to any such benefit shall not terminate due to earnings derived from services. (D) The period of trial work described in section 222(c) shall not apply. (E) The provisions related to the termination month in subsection (a)(1) of section 223 shall not apply.
The Commissioner could waive Title II benefit requirements and section 1148 requirements relating to Title II programs, but only insofar as necessary to carry out the project. This authority would be discretionary.
In carrying out the demonstration project under this section, the Commissioner may waive compliance with the benefit requirements of this title and the requirements of section 1148 as they relate to the programs established under this title, insofar as necessary to carry out the demonstration project.
Covered people could opt out after the project's first 120 months, or 10 years. This provision does not give an earlier opt-out right.
After the 120-month period described in subsection (b)(1)(A), an individual described in such subsection may opt out of the demonstration project.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated September 19, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Ways and Means on February 10, 2025. It provides no later action establishing passage or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-19T23:32:49Z. 2025-02-10: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. 2025-02-10: Introduced in House 2025-02-10: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-10. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This does not establish the absence of earmarks in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No separate narrow preferential benefit was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. The project's eligibility rules and benefit changes serve its intended population and main policy; that coverage alone is not a targeted-benefit finding. This conclusion is limited to this version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 19, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI