United Spinal: Urgent: Urge Congress to Vote NO on H.R. 620 ADA Education and Reform

[Crashbang]

I received this email from United Spinal Association today and thought CC members in the U.S. would be interested:

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Urgent: Urge Congress to Vote NO on H.R. 620 ADA Education and Reform Act The Judiciary committee has voted H.R. 620 the ADA Education and Reform Act out of Committee and a Rules Committee hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 13 at 5pm. We are not sure if this hearing will be open to the public or will be held in secret. A vote on the House floor is likely to follow on Wednesday or Thursday. We need you to take action now and contact your Representative and URGE A NO VOTE ON H.R. 620. Take Action Now! This bill would require individuals with disabilities to send a letter of notification to the business that it is out of compliance with the law, allow 60 days for them to acknowledge the barrier and allow businesses another 120 days to fix the access problem. ? H.R. 620 does not strengthen the ADA, it severely weakens and undermines one of the goals of the law. ? There is no definition for ?substantial progress? in this bill. Progress is NOT access. ? There will be NO INCENTIVE for a business to learn about ADA compliance or take any steps to comply prior to notification.

[triumph]

Yes! Glad you posted this. Sent an email to my Congressman. Hard to imagine this will be approved by the House. This "reform" would seem to let businesses forget altogether about providing access as the process of someone filing a complaint until compliance would be so lengthy.

[SCI-Nurse]

Sad to say, my Democratic Congressman, Scott Peters (CA), is one of the sponsors of this bill. I wrote to his office when it was introduced, and his staff gave me some bogus response about abuse of ADA complaints hurting the business community. He bought these resisters' crap lock stock and barrel!!!! I will write him again, but don't think it is going to change his mind.

Wondering if this would get more attention in the Politics forum???

(KLD)

[gjnl]

Sad to say, my Democratic Congressman, Scott Peters (CA), is one of the sponsors of this bill. I wrote to his office when it was introduced, and his staff gave me some bogus response about abuse of ADA complaints hurting the business community. He bought these resisters' crap lock stock and barrel!!!! I will write him again, but don't think it is going to change his mind.

Wondering if this would get more attention in the Politics forum???

(KLD)

Possibly it would, but as you have noted in the past, most members read "New Posts" instead of referring to individual forum topic areas to keep up with things. And the topic is "Legisltion." I'd tend to leave it where it is.

Good point about exposing the sponsor and co-sponsors of the bill.

Sponsor of H.R. 620 ADA Education and Reform: Representative Ted Poe, Republican (Texas - 2) https://www.congress.gov/member/ted-poe/P000592


Cosponsors * = Original Cosponsors

Cosponsor	Date Cosponsored
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-52]*	01/24/2017
Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42]*	01/24/2017
Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7]*	01/24/2017
Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14]*	01/24/2017
Rep. Conaway, K. Michael [R-TX-11]*	01/24/2017
Rep. Aguilar, Pete [D-CA-31]	02/27/2017
Rep. Abraham, Ralph Lee [R-LA-5]	02/27/2017
Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]	03/22/2017
Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA-9]	03/22/2017
Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]	03/28/2017
Rep. Denham, Jeff [R-CA-10]	03/28/2017
Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]	03/29/2017
Rep. Mitchell, Paul [R-MI-10]	03/29/2017
Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49]	04/05/2017
Rep. Emmer, Tom [R-MN-6]	05/19/2017
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]	05/22/2017
Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6]	05/22/2017
Rep. Roby, Martha [R-AL-2]	06/15/2017
Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28]	07/26/2017
Rep. Russell, Steve [R-OK-5]	07/26/2017
Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-16]	08/08/2017
Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21]	08/08/2017
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-21]	09/08/2017
Rep. Marchant, Kenny [R-TX-24]	09/08/2017
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]	09/08/2017
Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2]	09/08/2017
Rep. Duncan, Jeff [R-SC-3]	09/08/2017
Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]	09/08/2017
Rep. Tipton, Scott R. [R-CO-3]	09/08/2017
Rep. Byrne, Bradley [R-AL-1]	09/08/2017
Rep. Gallagher, Mike [R-WI-8]	09/08/2017
Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1]	09/08/2017
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]	09/08/2017
Rep. Curbelo, Carlos [R-FL-26]	09/08/2017
Rep. Hunter, Duncan D. [R-CA-50]	09/08/2017
Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15]	09/08/2017
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]	09/08/2017
Rep. Walker, Mark [R-NC-6]	09/08/2017
Rep. Brooks, Mo [R-AL-5]	09/08/2017
Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8]	09/08/2017
Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-4]	09/08/2017
Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-6]	09/08/2017
Rep. Graves, Garret [R-LA-6]	09/08/2017
Rep. Nunes, Devin [R-CA-22]	09/08/2017
Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]	09/08/2017
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]	09/08/2017
Rep. Johnson, Mike [R-LA-4]	09/08/2017
Rep. Lamborn, Doug [R-CO-5]	09/08/2017
Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]	09/08/2017
Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]	09/08/2017
Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. [D-NY-4]	09/14/2017
Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-4]	09/26/2017
Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3]	09/26/2017
Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32]	09/26/2017
Rep. Dent, Charles W. [R-PA-15]	09/26/2017
Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-4]	09/26/2017
Rep. Westerman, Bruce [R-AR-4]	09/26/2017
Rep. Long, Billy [R-MO-7]	09/28/2017
Rep. Mooney, Alexander X. [R-WV-2]	09/28/2017
Rep. Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R-MO-3]	10/02/2017
Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5]	10/02/2017
Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1]	10/02/2017
Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2]	10/04/2017
Rep. MacArthur, Thomas [R-NJ-3]	10/04/2017
Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2]	10/04/2017
Rep. Buck, Ken [R-CO-4]	10/04/2017
Rep. Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3]	10/04/2017
Rep. Lewis, Jason [R-MN-2]	10/10/2017
Rep. Tiberi, Patrick J. [R-OH-12]	10/10/2017
Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]	10/10/2017
Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10]	10/12/2017
Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]	10/12/2017
Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1]	10/25/2017
Rep. Ratcliffe, John [R-TX-4]	10/25/2017
Rep. Yoho, Ted S. [R-FL-3]	10/26/2017
Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2]	10/26/2017
Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8]	10/26/2017
Rep. Norman, Ralph [R-SC-5]	10/26/2017
Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36]	10/26/2017
Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]	10/26/2017
Rep. Taylor, Scott [R-VA-2]	11/02/2017
Rep. Rooney, Francis [R-FL-19]	11/02/2017
Rep. Holding, George [R-NC-2]	11/02/2017
Rep. Comer, James [R-KY-1]	11/07/2017
Rep. Knight, Stephen [R-CA-25]	11/07/2017
Rep. Cook, Paul [R-CA-8]	11/07/2017
Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4]	11/07/2017
Rep. Marino, Tom [R-PA-10]	11/07/2017
Rep. Barton, Joe [R-TX-6]	11/07/2017
Rep. Walters, Mimi [R-CA-45]	11/16/2017
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]	11/28/2017
Rep. Handel, Karen C. [R-GA-6]	11/28/2017
Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1]	12/18/2017
Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3]	12/18/2017
Rep. Pittenger, Robert [R-NC-9]	12/18/2017
Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]	12/18/2017
Rep. Budd, Ted [R-NC-13]	12/18/2017
Rep. Ross, Dennis A. [R-FL-15]	12/18/2017
Rep. Meadows, Mark [R-NC-11]	12/18/2017
Rep. Rice, Tom [R-SC-7]	12/21/2017
Rep. Messer, Luke [R-IN-6]	01/12/2018
Rep. Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2]	01/12/2018
Rep. Reed, Tom [R-NY-23]	01/12/2018
Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]	01/12/2018
Rep. Hultgren, Randy [R-IL-14]	01/29/2018
Rep. Herrera Beutler, Jaime [R-WA-3]	01/29/2018
Rep. Hice, Jody B. [R-GA-10]	01/29/2018
Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]	01/29/2018

Hide cosponsors who withdrew

Cosponsors Who Withdrew	Date Sponsored	Date Withdrawn	CR Explanation
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]	06/15/2017	07/20/2017	H6131
Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]	05/19/2017	10/31/2017	H8286

[Patton57]

The ADA already has no teeth. Now they want to take away it's gums. Nice!

[NW-Will]

ACTION ALERT. HR 620, the bill to effectively end private enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), will receive a vote next week. Email your Congress member tonight. Call them tomorrow. Use these talking points. Message me if you have any questions on how best to contact your Congress member. We cannot go back to the world before the ADA. We all must stand together to fight such attacks on the inherent dignity and worth of every person, especially those who often face discrimination.

https://dredf.org/hr620/

[gjnl]

UPDATE
http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.co...EPRESENTATIVES
East Bay Times, February 16, 2018, reprinted from the Washington Post

Activists object to changes in ADA

By Mike DeBonis
The Washington Post
The House on Thursday passed legislation that would amend the Americans With Disabilities Act over objections from disability rights advocates and Democratic leaders, who warned that the bill would remove incentives for businesses to comply with the law.

The ADA Education and Reform Act passed on a 225-192 vote, with 12 Democrats joining all but 19 Republicans to approve a bill that proponents say is aimed at curbing unscrupulous lawyers who seek profit by threatening businesses with litigation without actually seeking to improve access for the disabled.

But activists say the bill, if enacted, would essentially gut the ADA’s provisions dealing with public accommodations by removing any incentive that businesses have to comply with the law before a complaint is filed. “We know of no other law that outlaws discrimination but permits entities to discriminate with impunity until victims experience that discrimination and educate the entities perpetrating it about their obligations not to discriminate,” said a September letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities signed by more than 200 disability rights groups. “Such a regime is absurd, and would make people with disabilities second- class citizens.”

On the other side are business groups, such as the International Council of Shopping Centers and the National Federation of Independent Business, which say the bill would stem “drive-by lawsuits” so named because the lawyers who threaten them often do not physically inspect the premises.

But the bill’s critics say it would not necessarily stem the phenomenon because lawyers could still demand monetary settlements that do not include fixing the problems they identify. The abuses, the critics say, are better handled through state laws and local legal disciplinary authorities.

“No federal civil rights statute imposes such onerous requirements on discrimination victims before they can have the opportunity to enforce their rights in court,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., speaking against the bill on the House floor Thursday.

Under the bill, those wishing to sue businesses in federal court over an ADA public-accommodations violation must first deliver a written notice to that business detailing the illegal barrier to access and then give that business 60 days to come up with a plan to address the complaints and an additional 60 days to take action.

The legislation garnered some bipartisan support, including from one of the most liberal members of the House. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., a lead co-sponsor of the bill, said that she has “witnessed too many rip-off artists in California that are in it for just making a buck.” “I want public places to be accessible to persons with disabilities,” she said. “I want them fixed, and I’m not interested in making a few attorneys rich, and I’m not interested in gotcha stuff. I just want them to be accessible.”

The bill’s prospects in the Senate are uncertain. No similar bill has emerged from a Senate committee, and top Democrats — including Sens. Patty Murray, Wash., and Tammy Duckworth, Ill. — are strongly opposed.

[SCI-Nurse]

Please write now to your Senators and urge them to defeat this bill if introduced into the Senate!!

(KLD)