LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — State Reps. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo) and Steve Marino have introduced bipartisan legislation to support new employees with disabilities in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
According to an official press release, House Bills 5150 and 5151 are meant to open up greater employment opportunities for Michiganders with disabilities. The bipartisan package would allow employers to apply for up to $1,000 to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.
“Michiganders with disabilities have the same right as anyone else to build a life that’s right for them here in our state,” Hoadley said. “When advocacy interns from Disability Network Southwest Michigan proposed this idea to help more people with disabilities enter the workplace, we were ready to get to work in the Legislature. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support these bills, especially during National Disability Employment Awareness Month.”
As written, Hoadley’s bill would create the “Centralized Reasonable Accommodations Act,” which would empower the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to manage employer requests.
Marino’s bill would secure funding for the program through the Workmen’s Compensation Second Injury Fund, which is designed to compensate employers for payments made to employees with disabilities.
