Chris Danielsen fills us in on HR620, a proposed law that will chip away at the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). Join Jessica Hodges and Jeff Thompson along with the National Federation of the Blind Public Relations Director Chris Danielsen and learn more about HR620. at dismantling the ADA.

The House of Representatives will most likely be voting next week on a bill that will strip away civil rights of people with disabilities.

HR 620 would do the following:

· Eliminate the need for businesses and other entities that offer services to the public to meet accessibility requirements until a complaint is filed against them

· Limit the ability to file a complaint unless it is in writing, specifies the exact part of the law that is being violated, whether the person complaining has made a direct complaint to the business, and whether the barrier or lack of access is permanent or temporary

· The person with a disability must then wait up to 180 days for the business to “fix” the complaint; therefore denying the person with a disability access to the services for the waiting period

· Also, a business could have more than 180 days to fix the complaint if they are making “substantial progress” to fix the complaint

This bill attacks the rights of people with disabilities because of “frivolous” law suits being brought by lawyers against businesses. This “problem” is about lawyers who are bad actors and should not be “solved” by gutting the rights of people with disabilities.

As of yesterday afternoon this is what our House folks are looking at for timelines:

Tuesday the 13th—The House Rules Committee will meet to set the process for consideration of the bill

Wed or Thursday (14th or 15th)—probable floor vote on the bill

To find out how to contact your Representative check out this House web site.

Thank you for listening!

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