July 15, 2026
Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Mr. Bell, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Mannion, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Norton, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Simon, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) 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
Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many federally funded facilities for all persons of the United States, particularly persons 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, are offered equal opportunity to access all federally funded, in whole or part, amenities, such as a public right of way;
Whereas, in the 36 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 more than 1 in 4 adults, or more than 70,000,000 people in the United States have a disability;
Whereas disability is a universal concern, as aging 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 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 34 percent of all veterans, or 5,800,000 veterans, had a service-connected disability;
Whereas, in 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment rate of persons with a disability was nearly twice that of nondisabled adults;
Whereas, in 2025, 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 persons with disabilities;
Whereas the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance 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 guidelines for access for blind pedestrians at street crossings, wheelchair access to on-street parking, and addressing 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 persons, including persons with disabilities, are able to engage as equal members of society: Now, therefore, be it
That Congress—
(1)
recognizes that persons 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 to 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.