H.R. 7653 would replace the term “employment handicap” with “employment barrier” in title 38 of the U.S. Code, which governs veterans’ benefits.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers programs that offer vocational rehabilitation assistance to veterans with service-connected disabilities that limit their ability to find employment. That limitation is referred to as a “handicap” under current law. Much of VA’s recently published materials concerning the vocational rehabilitation program have already replaced references to “handicap” with “barrier” or similar terms. CBO expects that the costs to update any additional material would be less than $500,000 over the 2024‑2034 period; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
