III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 29 

Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many federally funded 

facilities for all people of the United States, particularly people with 

disabilities. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CASEY, Ms. 

HASSAN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Mrs. 

MURRAY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many 

federally funded facilities for all people of the United 

States, particularly people with disabilities. 

Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution prevents 

Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, 

or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the 

press, the right to peaceably assemble, or to petition for 

a governmental redress of grievances, and was adopted 

on December 15, 1791, as 1 of the 10 amendments that 

constitute the Bill of Rights; 

Whereas the Bill of Rights, specifically the First Amendment 

to the Constitution, calls for the right of all persons to 


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•SCON 29 IS 

peaceably assemble, and to this end, all persons, regardless of their physical ability, shall be offered equal opportunity to access all federally funded, in whole or part, 

amenities; 

Whereas, in the 32 years since the signing of the Americans 

with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) 

(in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘ADA’’), there have 

been unprecedented advances in all forms of technology; 

Whereas, in 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 4 adults, or 61,000,000 people, 

have a disability; 

Whereas disability is a universal concern, as an aging population increases the incidence of frailty and disability; 

Whereas, as significant advances in medical treatment result 

in increased survival rates, the incidence of disability increases; 

Whereas, in 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 

4,700,000 veterans received service-related disability benefits; 

Whereas, in 2019, the percentage of working-age people in 

the United States who reported having a work limitation 

due to a disability was 10.1 percent; 

Whereas the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to insure that certain 

buildings financed with Federal funds are so designed 

and constructed as to be accessible to the physically 

handicapped’’, approved August 12, 1968 (42 U.S.C. 

4151 et seq.) (commonly known as the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968), was enacted to ensure that certain 

federally funded facilities are designed and constructed to 

be accessible to people with disabilities; 


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•SCON 29 IS 

Whereas the United States Access Board (in this preamble 

referred to as the ‘‘Board’’) is in the process of developing new guidelines for public rights-of-way that will address various issues, including access for blind pedestrians at street crossings, wheelchair access to on-street 

parking, and various constraints posed by space limitations, roadway design practices, slope, and terrain; 

Whereas the Board’s new guidelines, when finalized, will 

cover pedestrian access to sidewalks and streets, including crosswalks, curb ramps, street furnishings, pedestrian 

signals, parking, and other components of public rightsof-way; 

Whereas the Board’s aim in developing these guidelines is to 

ensure that access for persons with disabilities is provided wherever a pedestrian way is newly built or altered, 

and that the same degree of convenience, connection, and 

safety afforded the public generally is available to pedestrians with disabilities; 

Whereas once these guidelines are adopted by the Department of Justice, they will become enforceable standards 

under title II of the ADA; and 

Whereas the United States was founded on principles of 

equality and freedom, and these principles require that 

all people, including people with disabilities, are able to 

engage as equal members of society: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 


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•SCON 29 IS 

1 (1) recognizes that people with disabilities in 

2 the United States experience barriers to access on a 

3 daily basis; 

4 (2) reaffirms its support of the Act entitled 

5 ‘‘An Act to insure that certain buildings financed 

6 with Federal funds are so designed and constructed 

7 as to be accessible to the physically handicapped’’, 

8 approved August 12, 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) 

9 (commonly known as the Architectural Barriers Act 

10 of 1968), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 

11 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), and encourages full 

12 compliance with such Acts; and 

13 (3) pledges to make universal and inclusive de14 sign a guiding principle for all infrastructure bills 

15 and projects and will continue working to identify 

16 and remove the barriers that prevent all people of 

17 the United States from having equal access to the 

18 services provided by the Federal Government. 

Æ 


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