Legislative Updates

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New Jersey SB-965 – Senate Transportation Committee
Directs the Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit authority and the state’s Department of Homeland Security to study and implement transportation mobility and accessibility improvements for persons with physical disabilities.
STATUS: Referred to Senate Transportation Committee
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S965
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  S 3925 – Boosting Tax Credits for Accessible Housing Act – Senate Finance Committee
This bill would increase the low-income housing tac credit for units designated for occupancy by persons with disabilities.
STATUS: Referred to Senate Finance Committee
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3925?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22physical+disability%22%7D&s=1&r=62
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Hawaii HB2089 – Senate Judiciary Committee
Requires the State Building Code Council to adopt, amend or update the International Building Code and International Residential Code within two years of every other official publication date of the applicable code or standard.
STATUS: Passed Second Reading; Engrossed
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2089&year=2024
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  HB 7389 – Accessible Voting Act of 2024 – House Committee on House Administration
Congress recognizes that only 17 percent of polling places could be considered fully accessible in 2016 when deficiencies in architectural and voting booth access are considered. Among other provisions, this bill would establish an Election Assistance Commission Office of Accessibility which would have as part of its charter the identification of barriers to in-person voting and the development of strategies for remediating architectural, attitudinal, transportation, technological, and other barriers to accessible in-person voting.
STATUS: Introduced and referred to House Committee on House Administration
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7389/all-info
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Massachusetts H2291 – An Act Expanding the Availability of Adaptable Housing for People with Disabilities and Seniors – Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
This bill amends existing law and directs the Architectural Access Board to establish standards and procedures designed to make any building, regardless of the date of construction, accessible for persons with physical disabilities. It also amends existing law relative to the definition of construction by defining employee work areas and requiring that such areas be made accessible in new construction or where renovation work is subject to the jurisdiction of the board.
STATUS: Referred to Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H229
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  H.R. 6248 (Think Differently Transportation Act) – Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials
This bi-partisan bill would require Amtrak to report to Congress about Amtrak’s efforts to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to U.S. Representative Mark Molinaro, Amtrak still has work to do to meet the requirements of the ADA and make trains and rail stations accessible to individuals of all disabilities.
STATUS: Engrossed on May 22, 2024 – 50% progression – Received in the Senate and Read twice; referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6248
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New York – S3531 – Assembly Governmental Operations Committee
Directs the state fire prevention and building code council to update the state fire prevention and building code and the state energy conservation code of any updated or revised edition of the international and national codes within 18 months of their publication.
STATUS: No Action
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S3531/amendment/A
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  SB 2516 – Veterans Accessibility Act – Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
This bill would establish a Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, including physical access. While the Committee will focus only on the Veterans Affairs Department, its passage would establish an important precedent eliminating barriers for all people with disabilities. The bill specifically cites the following statistic: "there are projected to be at least 80,000,000 people age 65 or older in the United States by 2040, more than twice the number in 2000. Older adults experience higher rates of disability than younger adults."
STATUS: No Action
https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/s2516/BILLS-118s2516is.pdf
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Massachusetts SB 1553 – Joint Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
A key section in this bill would require the Architectural Access Board to regularly amend and repeal rules and regulations designed to make multiple dwellings and public buildings and facilities, including but not limited to, areas that are not generally in public use, accessible to, and functional for and safe for use by persons with disabilities.
STATUS: No Action
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S1553
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  Concurrent Resolution* HR 101 – House Subcommittee on Health Committee
A resolution that recognizes the need to improve physical access to many federally funded facilities for all people of the United States, particularly people with disabilities.
STATUS: Referred to House Subcommittee on Health Committee
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/101/all-info
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Minnesota HF-4895 – Judiciary, Finance and Civil Law
Would revise the processes for determining what is meant by reasonable accommodations for public accommodation, including criteria for determining undue hardship for public accommodation, among other requirements.
STATUS: No Action
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF4895
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  Concurrent Resolution* S31 – Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Companion resolution to the House resolution recognizing the need to improve physical access to many federally funded facilities for all people of the United States, particularly people with disabilities.
STATUS: No Action
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-concurrent-resolution/31/actions
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Pennsylvania HB 2173 – House State Government Committee
This bill would establish a Department of Disability Rights, Employment, Accessibility, and Mobility. It would also establish the powers and duties of the Department to include the development of a State plan for maintaining, revising and enforcing Statewide disability policies and standards throughout the State Government.
STATUS: No Action
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm
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  * Please note that a concurrent resolution must be passed by both houses of Congress but does not have the force of law.
     
Hawaii House Bill 1413 – House Labor & Government Operations Committee
Would require that the legislature ensure that state facilities, businesses and recreational facilities meet certain accessibility requirements and be in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.
STATUS: No Movement
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx
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New York Senate Bill 6693 – Investigations and Government Operations Committee
Companion bill to A6116 that would require state agencies to develop a 5-year accessibility plan providing full access to the physical facilities, services, programs, and activities for persons with disabilities.
STATUS: No Movement
https://www.nysenate.gov/search/legislation?type=bill&printno=6693&status=all&sponsor=all&committee=all
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Illinois House Bill 5242 – House Rules Committee
Would amend the Environmental Barriers Act. Provides that no public facility may be constructed or altered without the statement of an architect that the plans comply with the most recent editions of the International Code Council/American National Institute Standard A117.1 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities).
STATUS: No Action
https://legiscan.com/IL/bill/SB2989/2023
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Minnesota House Bill 2615 – House Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee
This bill would establish an arts and cultural economy capital grant program to make grants to fund building accessibility renovations to comply with ADA requirements.
STATUS: No Movement
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php? number=HF2615&version=0&session=ls93& session_year=2023&session_number=0&format=pdf
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Minnesota House Bill 4482 – Capital Investment
Bill 4482 would appropriate funds for the Music Resource Center including monies for structural changes to meet current building codes and improvements for compliance with the ADA.
STATUS: No Movement
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php? number=HF4482&version=0&session=ls93& session_year=2024&session_number=0&format=pdf
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NY A06116 – Committee on Governmental Operations
Introduced in early January 2024, this bill will require New York agencies to develop and implement a five-year accessibility plan including information on ongoing projects and projects planned over the next five years that would improve physical, digital and programmatic access …for persons with disabilities. In the Senate, S6693 is a companion bill.
STATUS: No Action
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=A06116&term=&Summary=Y&Text=Y
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New York A 4169 – Committee on Aging
This bill would establish a senior housing accessibility study group to consider how to improve ad enhance accessibility requirements for all newly constructed or substantially reconstructed senior housing developments.
STATUS: No Movement
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A06116&leg_video=
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