CLIENT INFORMATION.

SEC. 108. CLIENT INFORMATION. Title I (29 U.S.C. 721 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: “Part E— Vocational Rehabilitation Services Client Information “SEC. 140. REVIEW OF DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING SYSTEM. “(a) Review.— The Commissioner shall conduct a comprehensive review of the current system for collecting and reporting data on clients of programs carried out under this Act, particularly data on clients of the programs carried out under this title. “(b) Considerations.— “(1) Current data.— In conducting the review, the Commissioner shall examine the kind, quantity, and quality of the data that are currently collected and reported, taking into consideration the range of purposes that the data serve at the Federal, State, and local levels. “(2) Additional information.— In conducting the review, the Commissioner shall examine the feasibility of collecting and reporting under the system information, if such information can be determined, with respect to each client participating in a program under this Act, regarding— “(A) other programs in which the client participated during the 3 years before the date on which the client applied to participate in a program under this Act; “(B) the number of jobs held, hours worked, and earnings received by the client during such 3 years; “(C) the types of major and secondary disabilities of the client; “(D) the dates of the onset of the disabilities; “(E) the severity of the disabilities; “(F) the source from which the client was referred to a program under this Act; “(G) the hours worked by the client; “(H) the size and industry code of the place of employment of the client at the time of entry into such a program and at the termination of services under the program; “(I) the number of services provided to the client under the programs and the cost of each service; 107 STAT. 725 “(J) the types of public support received by the client; “(K) the primary sources of economic support and amounts of public assistance received by the client before and after receiving the services; “(L) whether the client is covered by health insurance from any source and whether health insurance is available through the employer of the client; “(M) the supported employment status of the client; and “(N) the reasons for terminating the services received by the client. “(c) Recommendations.— Based on the review, the Commissioner shall recommend improvements in the data collection and reporting system. “(d) Views.— In developing the recommendations, the Commissioner shall seek views of persons and entities providing or using such data, including State agencies, State Rehabilitation Advisory Councils, providers of vocational rehabilitation services, professionals in the field of vocational rehabilitation, clients and organizations representing clients, the National Council on Disability, other Federal agencies, non-Federal researchers, other analysts using the data, and other members of the public. “(e) Publication and Submission of Report.— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102–569), the Commissioner shall publish the recommendations in the Federal Register and shall prepare and submit a report containing the recommendations to the appropriate committees of Congress. The Commissioner shall not implement the recommendations earlier than 90 days after the date on which the Commissioner submits the report. “SEC. 141. EXCHANGE OF DATA. “(a) Exchange.— The Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for the purposes of exchanging data of mutual importance— “(1) that concern clients of State vocational rehabilitation agencies; and “(2) that are data maintained either by— “(A) the Rehabilitation Services Administration, as required by section 13; or “(B) the Social Security Administration, from its Summary Earnings and Records and Master Beneficiary Records. “(b) Treatment of Information.— For purposes of the exchange, the data described in subsection (a)(2)(B) shall not be considered return information (as defined in section 6103(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) and, as appropriate, the confidentiality of all client information shall be maintained by both agencies.”.