119-hconres45

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 45 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. CON. RES. 45

 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

 July 23, 2025

 Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mrs. 
 Dingell, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mr. Hernandez, Mr. Mullin, Ms. 
Norton, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Soto, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. 
 Tonko, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) submitted the following concurrent 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
 Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, 
 Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and Oversight 
 and Government 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;
Whereas, in the 35 years since Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities 
 Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), there have been unprecedented 
 advances in all forms of technology, typified by automatic doors;
Whereas, in 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 
 4 adults, or more than 70,000,000 people, have a disability in the 
 United States;
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 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 31 percent of all 
 veterans, or 5,500,000 veterans, had a service-connected disability;
Whereas, in 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment 
 rate of persons with a disability was nearly twice that of nondisabled 
 adults;
Whereas, in 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that people of color have 
 the highest disability rates in the United States;
Whereas Public Law 90-480 (commonly known as the ``Architectural Barriers Act of 
 1968'') (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) 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 (referred to in this preamble as the 
 ``Board'') issued a final rule in August 2023 addressing accessibility 
 guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way that 
 addresses 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 August 2023 guidelines of the Board (referred to in this preamble as 
 the ``guidelines'') 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 aim of the Board in developing the guidelines was 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 the Department of Transportation adopted the guidelines in December 
 2024, and all newly constructed and altered transit stops in the United 
 States became subject to the guidelines in January 2025;
Whereas, once the guidelines are adopted by the Department of Justice, they will 
 become enforceable standards under title II of the Americans with 
 Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.); and
Whereas the United States was founded on principles of equality and freedom, and 
 those 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 that people with disabilities in the United 
 States experience barriers to access on a daily basis;

    (2) reaffirms its support of Public Law 90-480 (commonly 
 known as the ``Architectural Barriers Act of 1968'') (42 U.S.C. 
 4151 et seq.) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), and encourages full compliance with 
 those 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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