Legislation Making It Tougher To File ADA Complaints Passes House On Mostly Party-Line Vote
Proponents of the bill said the changes would protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits, but advocate groups warned that the changes would shift the burden to people with disabilities who aren’t able to access public spaces instead of the businesses in violation of the ADA.
The Hill:
House Votes To Add Requirements For Americans With Disabilities Act Lawsuits
The House on Thursday passed legislation that would create additional requirements for filing lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The legislation, which passed 225-192 largely along party lines, would prevent people from filing lawsuits alleging violations of the ADA unless business owners are given written notice and fail to offer a written response describing improvements or to make substantial progress in removing the barrier by the end of a six-month period. (Marcos, 2/15)
In other news —
Modern Healthcare:
Trump's Proposed Budget Cuts Could Hinder 21st Century Cures Implementation
President Donald Trump's budget wish list released Monday included a $22 million cut to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, a proposal that could make the agency struggle to implement some provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act. As he did last year, Trump is calling for a 37% cut to the ONC's budget for fiscal 2019. The ONC's remaining $38 million would be part of the broader proposed HHS budget, which Trump intends to slash by $18 billion. Congress recently passed a two-year budget deal, and it's unclear whether lawmakers will act on any of Trump's budget ideas. (Arndt, 2/15)