McEachin, Langevin, Duckworth introduce laws to strengthen ADA

Published Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 7:23 pm

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ada americans trade with disabled people(© gustavofrazao – stock.adobe.com)

Rep. A. Donald McEachin (VA-04), Jim Langevin (RI-02), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the bicameral Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act to provide tax credits for small businesses to upgrade their buildings and websites , help them comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

The DACE Act builds on existing disability access credit, helping businesses pay for renovations to meet ADA standards by doubling the maximum credit and expanding eligibility by expanding the definition of small business.

The bill also invests in programs that broker ADA-related disputes to avoid additional litigation and to help individuals and businesses better understand the ADA.

“No one, including the 61 million Americans with disabilities, should be denied access to a public space because of their personality,” said McEachin. “Our legislation provides important federal funding to help small businesses take reasonable precautions while minimizing the risk of increased risk of litigation. I am proud to introduce the bicameral Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act to take meaningful steps to empower the Americans with Disabilities Act, provide resources to help our country’s small businesses become ADA compliant, and ours Commitment to fairness and equality for all to be appreciated. “

“The ADA was a landmark law, but 31 years after it was signed, Americans with disabilities still face significant barriers in everyday life,” said Langevin, co-chair of the bipartisan Disabilities Caucus. “The Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act will help small businesses comply with ADA regulations so we can continue to build a country that is fully accessible to all Americans.”

“I am proud to be working with my colleagues on this important piece of legislation to strengthen the ADA and give Americans with disabilities more opportunities to participate fully in our society,” said Duckworth. “This bill will help more small businesses across the country comply with a nearly 30-year-old law that protects the rights of people with disabilities who have purchasing power but are still all too often denied access to public spaces.”

The bicameral DACE law aims to improve accessibility for Americans with disabilities while also helping small businesses by:

  • Extending the handicapped access credit: Corporations can write off eligible expenses to $ 20,500, double the maximum credit from $ 5,000 to $ 10,125, the definition of small business to companies with gross income of $ 2.5 million or less of $ 1 million Expand dollars or less and index credit to keep up with inflation.
  • Increase in funding for the ADA mediation program: Increased funding for the Department of Justice’s ADA mediation program to train contract mediators and increase staff to help people with disabilities and businesses reach a solution without additional litigation.
  • Collecting ADA Information Line Data: Invite the DOJ to report to Congress on the specific types of calls the ADA bulletin board receives to improve the way people with disabilities and businesses learn about their rights and how institutions become ADA compliant be able.

Read the Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act on one page, the full invoice text, and the section summary.

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