Title: Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many federally funded facilities for all people of the United States, particularly people with disabilities.
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Summary:
This concurrent resolution recognizes the immense hardships that people with disabilities must overcome every day and pledges to make universal and inclusive design a guiding principle for all infrastructure bills and projects.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 80 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 80

   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

                           December 12, 2019

 Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Mrs. Lee of Nevada, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Himes, 
 Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Courtney, 
     Mr. Payne, and Mr. Young) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, 
and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Transportation and 
 Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and Oversight and Reform, 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, with the exception of certain sites of 
        historical importance approved by the United States Access Board or a 
        nonpartisan commission convened by said United States Access Board;
Whereas in the 29 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 2012, nearly 20 percent of the civilian population in the United 
        States reported having a disability as defined by the ADA;
Whereas, in the 2010 census, more than 38,000,000 people were reported as having 
        a severe 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 2012, 16 percent of veterans, amounting to more than 3,500,000 
        people, received service-related disability benefits;
Whereas, in 2011, the percentage of working-age people in the United States who 
        reported having a work limitation due to a disability was 7 percent, 
        which is a 20-year high;
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'') has developed 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 will 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 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
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the immense hardships that people with 
        disabilities in the United States must overcome every day;
            (2) reaffirms its support of 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), 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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