In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on December 9, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) proposed major regulatory changes under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination and requires federal contractors to take affirmative action to hire, retain, and promote qualified individuals with disabilities. The proposed changes—if implemented—will substantially increase the compliance burden on government contractors and expose them to new and potentially costly risk.
Contractors have a final opportunity to submit comments to convince the OFCCP to focus regulatory revisions on changes that will increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities without imposing unnecessary burdens and risks on contractors. The deadline for submitting comments is February 7, 2012.
Please see full publication below for more information.