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Statement on Signing the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986

October 21, 1986

I have signed H.R. 4021, the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, which extends for 5 fiscal years a variety of programs under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In addition, H.R. 4021 subjects States, as a condition of their receipt of Federal financial assistance, to suits for violation of Federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of handicap, race, age, or sex to the same extent as any other public or private entities.

Although I have reservations about the potential costs of this bill for the Federal Government, I support the important programs authorized by the Rehabilitation Act. The special services made available through these programs help disabled persons, including the most severely disabled, attain productive employment and achieve greater economic and personal independence. This legislation can further assist disabled persons in their efforts to achieve those goals.

Note: H.R. 4021, approved October 21, was assigned Public Law No. 99-506.

Ronald Reagan, Statement on Signing the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/254168

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