September 24, 2026
Ms. Duckworth introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
To require all construction and renovation projects in Ukraine receiving funding from the United States to comply with accessibility standards that are substantively equivalent to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, and related regulations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Accessible Ukraine Act
.
Sec. 2. Expansion of standards for accessibility for the disabled in Ukraine
(a) In general
Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), the standards set forth in section 752.236–70 of title 48, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on January 23, 2024, shall apply to any construction or renovation contract in Ukraine involving United States funding, including contracts entered into by—
(1)
the United States International Development Finance Corporation;
(2)
the Millennium Challenge Corporation; and
(3)
the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund.
(b) Waiver
The Secretary of State may waive the applicability of subsection (a) if such waiver is in the national interest of the United States.
(c) Exceptions
(1) Normal maintenance
Normal maintenance, re-roofing, painting, or wallpapering, and changes to mechanical or electrical systems are not subject to the requirement under subsection (a) unless they affect the accessibility of the building or facility.
(2) Emergency construction
(A) In general
Subject to subparagraph (B), emergency construction intended to be temporary is not subject to the standards referred to in subsection (a), but every effort shall be made to meet such standards, including in emergency construction.
(B) Plan
Not later than 3 months after determining emergency construction is necessary, the Secretary of State shall develop a plan—
(i)
to address accessibility at the affected building or facility during such construction; and
(ii)
to comply with the standards referred to in subsection (a) to the maximum extent practicable.
(C) Funding
In the event of an emergency construction project, the Secretary of State shall allocate such funds as may be necessary to ensure people with disabilities receive the same access to services at the affected building or facility as all other individuals.
(d) Funding prohibition
No Federal funding may be used for construction or renovation projects that facilitate the segregation or institutionalization of persons with disabilities.
(e) Rules of construction
Nothing in this Act may be construed—
(1)
to dissuade recipients of Federal funding from entering into contracts that would increase accessibility beyond the standards required under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); or
(2)
to facilitate the segregation or institutionalization of persons with disabilities.
Sec. 3. Accessibility working group
(a) Establishment
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish an accessibility working group composed of government and private sector accessibility experts, which shall leverage existing workstreams and expand its scope, if needed—
(1)
to determine the validity of requests for exceptions based on emergency construction;
(2)
to evaluate compliance with the requirements under this Act; and
(3)
to coordinate with local organizations and entities for verification of compliance in construction and renovation projects subject to the standards referred to in section 2(a).
(b) Publication
The accessibility working group established pursuant to subsection (a) shall publish relevant findings and recommendations on a publicly available website in accordance with the standards set forth in version 2.1 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or subsequent guidance published by the World Wide Web Consortium.
Sec. 4. Annual report
The Secretary of State shall submit an annual report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that includes—
(1)
the number and amount of Federal financial investment in construction and renovation projects subject to the requirements described in section 2;
(2)
the number of waivers, disaggregated by routine or emergency, granted under section 2(b), and the justification for each such waiver;
(3)
recommendations for improving compliance with the requirements described in section 2; and
(4)
a readout of major recommendations and results published by the accessibility working group pursuant to section 3(b).