HR 77 117th Congress House

ACCESS Act

Official title: 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 … Show full official titleShow less

Official title: 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.

Introduced: January 28, 2021 Introduced by: Calvert, Ken Republican · California See on congress.gov

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitrationBuilding constructionCivil actions and liabilityDisability and health-based discrimination

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Government studies and investigationsInternet and video servicesInternet, web applications, social mediaState and local government operationsTelephone and wireless communication

Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Mar 1, 2021

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Mar 1, 2021

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

Jan 4, 2021

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Jan 4, 2021

Introduced in House

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Latest action March 1, 2021

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services Act or the ACCESS Act

This bill addresses access to public accommodations for persons with a disability.

The bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop a program to educate state and local governments and property owners on strategies for promoting access to public accommodations for persons with a disability.

The bill authorizes an aggrieved person, after taking specified actions, to commence a civil action based on the failure to remove an architectural barrier to access an existing public accommodation. Specifically, the aggrieved person must have provided the owners or operators a written notice specific enough to identify the barrier and specify the circumstances under which public accommodation access was denied. The owners or operators must have (1) failed to provide the person a written description outlining improvements that will be made to improve the barrier, or (2) failed to remove the barrier or make substantial progress after providing such a description.

The Judicial Conference of the United States must develop a model program to promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve claims involving architectural barriers to access for public accommodations.

Finally, the bill requires DOJ to complete a study of whether certain web content standards or information services for individuals with disabilities provided telephonically provide the same accommodations as would be available on a website.

Bill text 1 version