Results for

  • Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act

    HR #3627 | Last Action: 5/24/2023
  • Democracy in Design Act

    HR #7604 | Last Action: 7/13/2020
    Democracy in Design Act This bill requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to ensure that the construction and acquisition of federal public buildings (e.g., agency office buildings) adheres to the principles of the report titledGuiding Principles for Federal Architecture. The report was issued by the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Office Space on June 1, 1962, and serves as the policy directive for the GSA's Design Excellence Program within its Public Buildings Service. Among other principles, the report prescribes against the development of an official architectural style for government buildings and encourages the government to avoid excessive uniformity in building design.
  • A concurrent resolution recognizing the need to improve physical access to many federally funded facilities for all people of the United States, particularly individuals with disabilities.

    SCONRES #30 | Last Action: 12/12/2019
    This concurrent resolution recognizes the importance of equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities and that many government facilities remain inaccessible to such individuals due to architectural and other barriers. The concurrent resolution also pledges to make universal and inclusive design a guiding principle for all infrastructure bills and projects.
  • Energy Cybersecurity Act of 2019

    S #2333 | Last Action: 7/30/2019
    Energy Cybersecurity Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop advanced cybersecurity applications and technologies for the energy sector. DOE shall * advance the security of field devices and third-party control systems; * leverage electric grid architecture as a means to assess risks to the energy sector, including by implementing an all-hazards approach to communications infrastructure, control systems architecture, and power systems architecture; * perform pilot demonstration projects with the energy sector to gain experience with new technologies; and * develop workforce development curricula for energy sector-related cybersecurity. DOE may also implement within the energy sector cybertesting and cyberresilience programs that target * DOE emergency response capabilities, * cooperation with the intelligence communities for energy sector-related threat collection and analysis, * enhancing the tools of DOE and the Electricity Sector Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ES-ISAC) for monitoring the status of the energy sector, * expanding industry participation in ES-ISAC, and * technical assistance to small electric utilities to assess cybermaturity posture. DOE must develop an advanced energy security program that secures diverse energy networks in order to increase the functional preservation of the electric grid operations or natural gas and oil operations in the face of natural and human-made threats and hazards, including electric magnetic pulse and geomagnetic disturbances. DOE shall study alternative management structures and funding mechanisms to expand industry membership and participation in ES-ISAC.
  • GAIN Act

    HR #3929 | Last Action: 7/24/2019
    Greater Access and Independence through Nonvisual Access Technology Act of 2019 or the GAIN Act This bill requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to establish access standards for home (1) medical devices, (2) appliances, and (3) exercise equipment that allow blind consumers to effectively use such products.
  • ACCESS Act

    HR #4099 | Last Action: 7/30/2019
    ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services Act or the ACCESS Act This bill addresses access to public accommodations for persons with a disability. The bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop a program to educate state and local governments and property owners on strategies for promoting access to public accommodations for persons with a disability. The bill authorizes an aggrieved person, after taking specified actions, to commence a civil action based on the failure to remove an architectural barrier to access an existing public accommodation. Specifically, the aggrieved person must have provided the owners or operators a written notice specific enough to identify the barrier and specify the circumstances under which public accommodation access was denied. The owners or operators must have (1) failed to provide the person a written description outlining improvements that will be made to improve the barrier, or (2) failed to remove the barrier or make substantial progress after providing such a description. The Judicial Conference of the United States must develop a model program to promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve claims involving architectural barriers to access for public accommodations. Finally, the bill requires DOJ to complete a study of whether certain web content standards or information services for individuals with disabilities provided telephonically provide the same accommodations as would be available on a website.
  • Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act

    HR #5234 | Last Action: 11/21/2019
    Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act This bill provides statutory authority for the establishment of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council whose duties are to advise the Department of Transportation on transportation issues of concern to motorcyclists, including (1) barrier design; (2) road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and (3) the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies.
  • Grid Modernization Act of 2019

    S #2332 | Last Action: 7/30/2019
    Grid Modernization Actof 2019 This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE)to conduct a program to modernize the electric grid, including by (1)developing standards to compare the storage capacity, cycle length, capabilities, and reliability of different types of electricity storage; (2)promoting the development of micro-grid systems; (3)facilitating a collaborative process to develop model grid architecture; and (4) ensuring a reliable, resilient, affordable, safe, and secure electric grid. (A micro-grid system means a stand-alone electrical system that uses grid-scale energy storage.) DOE must also establish a grant program to carry out projects related to the modernization of the electric grid, including the application of technologies to improve observability, advanced controls, and prediction of system performance on the distribution system.
  • Pullman National Historical Park Act

    S #2896 | Last Action: 11/19/2019
    Pullman National Historical Park Act This bill establishes the Pullman National Historical Park in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System. The park shall preserve and interpret * the significant labor, industrial, civil rights, and social history of the park; * the significant architectural structures in the park; and * the role of the Pullman community in the creation of the first national Labor Day holiday. Also, the park shall coordinate * the preservation, protection, and interpretation efforts of the park by the federal government, Illinois, units of local government, and private and nonprofit organizations; and * the management options necessary to ensure these efforts toward the many significant aspects of the park. The park's boundary shall be established by the Department of the Interior, but must not exceed the boundary of the approximately 300-acre Pullman Historic District in Chicago. Upon conveyance by Illinois to Interior, the park shall include * the Pullman Factory Complex, including the Clock Tower Building and rear erecting shops; and * the approximately 13 acres of land on which those structures are located. Interior must complete a general management plan for the park.
  • Pullman National Historical Park Act

    HR #5420 | Last Action: 1/8/2020
    Pullman National Historical Park Act This bill establishes the Pullman National Historical Park in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System. The park shall preserve and interpret * the significant labor, industrial, civil rights, and social history of the park; * the significant architectural structures in the park; and * the role of the Pullman community in the creation of the first national Labor Day holiday. Also, the park shall coordinate * the preservation, protection, and interpretation efforts of the park by the federal government, Illinois, units of local government, and private and nonprofit organizations; and * the management options necessary to ensure the protection, preservation, and interpretation of the many significant aspects of the park. The park's boundary shall be established by the Department of the Interior, but must not exceed the boundary of the approximately 300-acre Pullman Historic District in Chicago. Upon conveyance by Illinois to Interior, the park shall include * the Pullman Factory Complex, including the Clock Tower Building and rear erecting shops; and * the approximately 13 acres of land on which those structures are located. Interior must complete a general management plan for the park.
  • Disability Employment Incentive Act

    S #255 | Last Action: 1/29/2019
    Disability Employment Incentive Act This bill expands tax credits and deductions that are available for employers who hire and retain employees with disabilities. The bill expands the work opportunity tax credit to include the hiring of employees who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. For employers who hire vocational rehabilitation referrals, Supplemental Security Income recipients, or SSDI recipients, the bill also (1) increases the amount of wages that may be taken into account for the credit, and (2) allows an additional credit for second-year wages. With respect to the tax credit for expenditures by eligible small businesses to provide access to disabled individuals, the bill increases the limits that apply to (1) the amount of expenditures that are eligible for the credit, and (2) the gross receipts and full-time employees of eligible small businesses. The bill also expands the tax deduction for expenditures to remove architectural and transportation barriers to the handicapped and elderly. The bill modifies the deduction to (1) increase limitation on the amount of the deduction, and (2) allow the deduction to be used for certain improvements in the accessibility of Internet or telecommunications services to handicapped and elderly individuals.
  • Disability Employment Incentive Act

    HR #3992 | Last Action: 7/25/2019
    Disability Employment Incentive Act This bill expands tax credits and deductions that are available for employers who hire and retain employees with disabilities. The bill expands the work opportunity tax credit to include the hiring of employees who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. For employers who hire vocational rehabilitation referrals, Supplemental Security Income recipients, or SSDI recipients, the bill also (1) increases the amount of wages that may be taken into account for the credit, and (2) allows an additional credit for second-year wages. With respect to the tax credit for expenditures by eligible small businesses to provide access to disabled individuals, the bill increases the limits that apply to (1) the amount of expenditures that are eligible for the credit, and (2) the gross receipts and full-time employees of eligible small businesses. The bill also expands the tax deduction for expenditures to remove architectural and transportation barriers to the handicapped and elderly. The bill modifies the deduction to (1) increase limitation on the amount of the deduction, and (2) allow the deduction to be used for certain improvements in the accessibility of Internet or telecommunications services to handicapped and elderly individuals.
  • State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act

    HR #4217 | Last Action: 8/30/2019
    State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act This bill directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the Department of Homeland Security to develop a resource guide for use by state, local, and tribal officials, including law enforcement officers, to help such officials prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate cyberattacks. CISA shall establish initiatives to make grants to state and local governments to (1) identify high value assets and critical system architecture in order to assess cybersecurity risks, and (2) conduct tabletop and live training exercises to assess the capability of the state or local government to respond to a cyberattack.
  • Exercise and Fitness for All Act

    HR #4561 | Last Action: 9/27/2019
    Exercise and Fitness for All Act This bill requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to develop guidelines for exercise or fitness service providers regarding the provision of accessible exercise or fitness equipment. The Access Board must subsequently promulgate regulations, consistent with the guidelines, requiring that exercise or fitness classes and instruction provided by fitness providers are accessible to people with disabilities. The regulations also must require that each provider make at least one employee available to assist people with disabilities with using the accessible exercise or fitness equipment.
  • Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act

    S #3249 | Last Action: 2/3/2020
    Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act This bill amends Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act or the FAST Act to provide statutory authority for the establishment of a Motorcyclist Advisory Council whose duties are to advise the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Safety Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration on transportation safety issues of concern to motorcyclists, including (1) barrier design; (2) road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and (3) the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies. The bill also sets forth the membership of the council, member terms, and reporting requirements.
  • United States Commission on an Open Society with Security Act of 2019

    HR #4293 | Last Action: 9/12/2019
    United States Commission on an Open Society with Security Act of 2019 This bill establishes the United States Commission on an Open Society with Security to study how the government may provide for both security in, and public access to, federal buildings and other federal property and sites. The commission shall examine (1) government and private security practices and proposals, building design, public space management, counterterrorism needs, and refurbishment of existing federal facilities; (2) the effect of access to public facilities and spaces on constitutional rights and civil liberties, economies of affected jurisdictions, architectural aesthetics, traffic and congestion, and employee job performance; (3) technology to augment or replace traditional modes of security; and (4) methods of assessing the risks posed by terrorism, balanced against the needs and values of open access.
  • ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017

    HR #620 | Last Action: 2/15/2018
    ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (Sec. 2) This bill requires the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice to develop a program to educate state and local governments and property owners on strategies for promoting access to public accommodations for persons with a disability. The program may include training for professionals to provide a guidance of remediation for potential violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. (Sec. 3) The bill prohibits civil actions based on the failure to remove an architectural barrier to access into an existing public accommodation unless: (1) the aggrieved person has provided to the owners or operators a written notice specific enough to identify the barrier, and (2) the owners or operators fail to provide the person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to improve the barrier or they fail to remove the barrier or make substantial progress after providing such a description. The aggrieved person's notice must specify the circumstances under which public accommodation access was denied. (Sec. 5) The Judicial Conference of the United States must develop a model program to promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve such claims. The model program should include an expedited method for determining relevant facts related to such barriers and steps to resolve accessibility issues before litigation.
  • Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2019

    S #669 | Last Action: 3/6/2019
    Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2019 This bill expands provisions prohibiting discrimination against disabled individuals by an air carrier. Specifically, it enumerates certain actions that an air carrier must take or may not take with respect to a disabled individual. It also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that disabled individuals traveling in air transportation are able to file complaints with DOT in response to disability-related discrimination and receive assistance from DOT through a hotline or comparable electronic means. The bill authorizes an aggrieved individual and the Department of Justice to bring a civil action for discrimination. The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board shall prescribe regulations setting forth minimum standards for aircraft with new or existing type certificates to ensure the accessibility of individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. The standards shall address, among other things, boarding and deplaning equipment, seatng accommodations, lavatories, visually accessible announcements, and proper stowage of assistive devices in the cargo hold to prevent damage.
  • Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2019

    HR #1549 | Last Action: 3/7/2019
    Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2019 This bill expands provisions prohibiting discrimination against disabled individuals by an air carrier. Specifically, it enumerates certain actions that an air carrier must take or may not take with respect to a disabled individual. It also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that disabled individuals traveling in air transportation are able to file complaints with DOT in response to disability-related discrimination and receive assistance from DOT through a hotline or comparable electronic means. The bill authorizes an aggrieved individual and the Department of Justice to bring a civil action for discrimination. The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board shall prescribe regulations setting forth minimum standards for aircraft with new or existing type certificates to ensure the accessibility of individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. The standards shall address, among other things, boarding and deplaning equipment, seating accommodations, lavatories, visually accessible announcements, and proper stowage of assistive devices in the cargo hold to prevent damage.
  • Exercise and Fitness for All Act

    S #1244 | Last Action: 4/30/2019
    Exercise and Fitness for All Act This bill requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to develop guidelines for exercise or fitness service providers regarding the provision of accessible exercise or fitness equipment, and extends the disabled access tax credit to providers that implement such guidelines. The Access Board must subsequently promulgate regulations, consistent with the guidelines, requiring that exercise or fitness classes and instruction provided by fitness providers are accessible to people with disabilities. The regulations also must require that each provider make at least one employee available to assist people with disabilities with using the accessible exercise or fitness equipment.
  • Airline Information and Entertainment Access Act

    S #3473 | Last Action: 3/12/2020
    Airline Information and Entertainment Access Act This bill requires air carriers (including foreign carriers) to ensure equal access to airline information and entertainment programming for all airline passengers regardless of their disabilities. Specifically, the bill requires * open captioning and an American Sign Language option for persons with disabilities when the information and programming are available to passengers through shared video displays, such as a monitor located in a passenger access aisle; * closed captioning and an American Sign Language option when the information and programming are available to passengers through individual video displays; * video descriptions when the information and programming are available to passengers through individual video displays or shared video displays; * an aural public address announcement in textual format through individual video displays or shared video displays; and * control systems for video displays to have a nonvisual operating option. A civil action may be brought in a U.S. District Court against an air carrier for violations of these requirements. The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board must set forth the minimum technical criteria for individual video displays to ensure that they include a mechanism that allows persons with disabilities to operate the displays nonvisually.
  • Open RAN Outreach Act

    HR #2037 | Last Action: 4/8/2025
  • DEFEND Act of 2022

    S #4366 | Last Action: 6/9/2022
  • DEFEND Act of 2022

    HR #7987 | Last Action: 6/8/2022