-Buttresses Rep. Koffa, Cooper’s Initial Proposals
By Jerromie S. Walters
MONROVIA – Representative Rugie Yatu Barry of Montserrado County District #1 is championing new legislation to protect and empower persons with disabilities in Liberia, with the House of Representatives referring the bill to its Health and Judiciary Committees for expedited review.
The proposed “Act to Provide for the Inclusion, Employment and Support of Persons with Disabilities within the Republic of Liberia, 2026” aims to establish legal protections, create employment pathways, and ensure access to essential services for a marginalized population that Rep. Barry says has been systematically left behind.
In her communication to the Honorable Speaker and colleagues, Representative Barry emphasized that the proposed legislation is not merely a policy recommendation, but a human rights imperative.
“The sole purpose of this bill is to provide support, employment opportunities, and equal protection for persons with disabilities, in order to reduce the high level of poverty amongst this marginalized group,” Representative Barry stated.
She further highlighted the persistent discrimination faced by persons with disabilities, noting that they are routinely denied access to learning institutions, employment, and essential social services—violations she described as a breach of their fundamental human rights. “Honorable Speaker, Honorable Deputy Speaker, Honorable Colleagues, the sole purpose of this bill is to provide support, employment opportunities as well as equal protection for persons with disabilities in order to reduce the high level of poverty amongst these minority or marginalized
group.” she said.
She further noted: “As you may be aware, persons with disabilities in Liberia are grossly being discriminated against,
deprived of learning and employment opportunities and other social services due to their condition, which is a violation of their fundamental human rights,” The bill arrives at a critical juncture as Liberia continues to strengthen its commitments to inclusive development and non-discrimination. If passed, the Act will mandate affirmative action in public and private sector employment, enforce accessibility standards, and create institutional mechanisms to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind.
Representative Barry called on her colleagues to rise above partisan lines and endorse the passage of the bill in the spirit of equity and justice. “Therefore, I respectfully request that this august Body kindly endorse the passage of this proposed bill as part of our commitment to serving the Liberian people without discrimination,” she concluded.
The House leadership has set a two-week deadline for the joint committees to review the bill and report back to plenary. Plenary took the decision during its 10th-day sitting of the first Quarter of the 3rd session on Thursday, 12 February, 2026. The bill, if passed, would mandate employment supports, establish inclusion standards, and provide equal protection under the law for persons with disabilities across Liberia.
Synonymous with Rep. Cooper and Koffa Advocacy:
Representative Barry’s draft bill is slightly synonymous with Representative Hon. Precilla A. Cooper’s bill which seeks to establish the National Rehabilitation Commission of Liberia (NRC) and former speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa’s $25 million National Social Safety Net Fund proposal. The Plenary of the House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill to establish the National Rehabilitation Commission of Liberia (NRC) on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, during the 8th day sitting of the 3rd Quarter.
The bill, originally submitted by Montserrado County Electoral District #5 Representative Hon. Precilla A. Cooper, seeks to create a centralized body to coordinate and deliver comprehensive rehabilitation services to a broad spectrum of vulnerable Liberians.
The decision followed the presentation and endorsement of a comprehensive report from a specially convened House Ad Hoc Committee, which conducted a meticulous clause-by-clause analysis of the proposed act.
The Commission’s mandate reflects the multifaceted nature of rehabilitation needs in a nation still grappling with the long-term effects of civil war and persistent social challenges. Specifically, the NRC is designed to serve drug dependents, war victims, the elderly, persons with disabilities, individuals engaged in prostitution, orphaned and abandoned children, and disaster victims. The bill’s preamble justifies this expansive scope by identifying a national crisis fueled by substance abuse, the psychosocial aftermath of the civil conflict, and the fragmentation of existing agencies.
The passage of Rep. Cooper’s NRC bill closely follows a separate, high-profile proposal from Grand Kru County Electoral District #2 Representative, Hon. Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa. Rep. Koffa has advocated for the establishment of a $25 million National Social Safety Net Fund, aimed at providing direct relief to Liberians struggling with school fees and rent payments.
The move was triggered by a formal communication from Koffa, who painted a stark picture of the economic hardship facing ordinary citizens. In his letter to House Speaker Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon, Koffa argued that despite mixed macroeconomic indicators, the average Liberian family is in a state of crisis. He described a nation where families have become “migratory,” forced to move repeatedly when rent is due, and where heads of households avoid going home to evade landlords.
“The driver who drives our children to school has his own children sitting at home, forbidden to come outside because of the shame associated with the inability to pay school fees,” Koffa wrote. He sharply contrasted this reality with what he termed “huge legislative and executive benefits, large and luxurious foreign travel, the purchase of new and more expensive vehicles, and wasteful government spending.” The lawmaker asserted that a “Government of humans must lift itself to a higher moral order” and act with urgency and compassion.
To fund the proposed $25 million relief fund without placing an undue burden on any single group, Rep. Koffa outlined a series of patriotic adjustments to government spending. The proposed funding streams include: Reducing Benefits: Cutting non-essential benefits and allowances across the three branches of government, Limiting Travel: Reducing foreign travel for all public officials, except for those on critical national missions.
Other ways include: Curbing Vehicle Purchases: Limiting the acquisition of new vehicles within government ministries and agencies, Utilizing Public Assets: Redirecting a portion of the operational surplus from the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), and Strategic Borrowing: Borrowing a portion of the required funds from the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), to be repaid over time.
