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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 101 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 101

   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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 22, 2024

  Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Ms. Wild, Ms. 
 Norton, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Lee of 
California, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Swalwell, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Jackson 
Lee, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Titus, and Mr. Mullin) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committees on the Judiciary, Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy 
  and Commerce, and Oversight and Accountability, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         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 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 33 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, typified by automatic doors;
Whereas, in 2023, 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 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 5,400,000 veterans 
        received service-related disability benefits;
Whereas, in 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment 
        rate of persons with a disability was twice that of nondisabled adults;
Whereas, in 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that people of color have 
        the highest disability rates in the country;
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;
Whereas the United States Access Board (in this preamble referred to as the 
        ``Board'' recently issued a final rule addressing accessibility 
        guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way that 
        addresses 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 cover pedestrian access to sidewalks and 
        streets, including crosswalks, curb ramps, street furnishings, 
        pedestrian signals, parking, and other components of public rights-of-
        way;
Whereas the Board's aim in developing these guidelines is to ensure that access 
        for persons with disabilities is pro-vided 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
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes that people with disabilities in the United 
        States experience barriers to access on a daily basis;
            (2) reaffirms its support of the Architectural Barriers Act 
        of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) and the Americans with 
        Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), and 
        encourages full compliance with such Acts; and
            (3) pledges to make universal and inclusive design a 
        guiding principle for all infrastructure bills and projects and 
        will continue working to identify and remove the barriers that 
        prevent all people of the United States from having equal 
        access to the services provided by the Federal Government.
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