ACCESS Act

To amend the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters, to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services Act ACCESS Act 2. Compliance through education (a) In general Based on existing funding, the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice shall, in consultation with property owners and representatives of the disability rights community, develop a program to educate State and local governments and property owners on effective and efficient strategies for promoting access to public accommodations for persons with a disability (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( 42 U.S.C. 12102 (b) Materials provided in other languages The Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice shall take appropriate actions, to the extent practicable, to make technical assistance publications relating to compliance with this Act and the amendments made by this Act available in all the languages commonly used by owners and operators of United States businesses. 3. Notice and cure period Paragraph (1) of section 308(a) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12188(a)(1) (1) Availability of remedies and procedures (A) In general Subject to subparagraph (B), the remedies and procedures set forth in section 204(a) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000a–3(a) (B) Barriers to access to existing public accommodations A civil action under section 302 or 303 based on the failure to remove an architectural barrier to access into an existing public accommodation may not be commenced by a person aggrieved by such failure unless— (i) that person has provided to the owner or operator of the accommodation a written notice specific enough to allow such owner or operator to identify the barrier; and (ii) (I) during the period beginning on the date the notice is received and ending 60 days after that date, the owner or operator fails to provide to that person a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove the barrier; or (II) if the owner or operator provides the written description under subclause (I), the owner or operator fails to remove the barrier or, in the case of a barrier, the removal of which requires additional time as a result of circumstances beyond the control of the owner or operator, fails to make substantial progress in removing the barrier during the period beginning on the date the description is provided and ending 60 days after that date. (C) Specification of details of alleged violation The written notice required under subparagraph (B) must also specify in detail the circumstances under which an individual was actually denied access to a public accommodation, including the address of property, whether a request for assistance in removing an architectural barrier to access was made, and whether the barrier to access was a permanent or temporary barrier. . 4. Effective date This Act and the amendments made by this Act take effect 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 5. Mediation for ADA actions related to architectural barriers The Judicial Conference of the United States shall, under rule 16 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or any other applicable law, in consultation with property owners and representatives of the disability rights community, develop a model program to promote the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including a stay of discovery during mediation, to resolve claims of architectural barriers to access for public accommodations. To the extent practical, the Federal Judicial Center should provide a public comment period on any such proposal. The goal of the model program shall be to promote access quickly and efficiently without the need for costly litigation. The model program should include an expedited method for determining the relevant facts related to such barriers to access and steps taken before the commencement of litigation to resolve any issues related to access. 6. Study regarding WCAG 2.0 standards Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall complete a study to determine whether WCAG 2.0 standards, accessibility widgets, or providing a telephone number through which members of the public can obtain the same information and services as they would on a website would all provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities who are protected by the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Summary: ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services Act or the ACCESS Act This bill establishes certain procedural requirements in relation to complaints under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) regarding access to public accommodations (i.e., businesses and nonprofits that are open to the public, such as stores, restaurants, and hotels). It also requires educational outreach and studies by federal agencies to promote ADA compliance. Specifically, the bill establishes a notice and cure period before a claimant may file a civil action against a public accommodation for failing to remove a barrier to access. Claimants must first provide the owner or operator of the public accommodation with a written notice specific enough to identify the barrier and the circumstances under which access was denied. An owner or operator then has 60 days to respond with a description of forthcoming changes and another 60 days after providing the description to make the changes, or show substantial progress in making the changes, before the claimant may proceed with a civil action. The bill also requires (1) the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop a program to educate state and local governments and property owners on strategies to promote ADA compliance, (2) the Judicial Conference of the United States to develop a model program to promote alternative dispute resolution to resolve claims, and (3) the DOJ to study whether certain web content accessibility standards and telephone services provide reasonable accommodations under the ADA.