S 3406 · 110th Congress 2007–2009, ended

ADA Amendments Act of 2008

Introduced Jul 31, 2008 Originated Senate Became Public Law 110-325 Sponsor Tom Harkin D-IA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Sep 25, 2008 Became Public Law No: 110-325.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJul 31, 2008
  2. Passed SenateSep 11, 2008
  3. Passed HouseSep 17, 2008
  4. To the PresidentSep 23, 2008
  5. Became lawSep 25, 2008Public Law 110-325

Summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.)

ADA Amendments Act of 2008 - (Sec. 4) Amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) to redefine the term "disability," including by defining "major life activities" and "being regarded as having such an impairment."

Sets forth rules of construction regarding the definition of "disability," including that: (1) such term shall be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals under the Act; (2) an impairment that substantially limits one major life activity need not limit other major life activities in order to be a disability; (3) an impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active; and (4) the determination of whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity shall be made without regard to the ameliorative effects of specified mitigating measures.

(Sec. 5) Prohibits employment discrimination against a qualified individual on the basis of disability. (Current law prohibits employment discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability because of the disability.)

Prohibits the use of qualification standards, employment tests, or other selection criteria based on an individual's uncorrected vision unless the standard, test, or other selection criteria, as used by the covered entity, is shown to be related to the position and is consistent with business necessity.

(Sec. 6) Declares that nothing in the Act: (1) alters the standards for determining eligibility for benefits under state worker's compensation laws or under state and federal disability benefit programs; (2) alters the requirement to make reasonable modifications in policies or procedures, unless such modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations involved; or (3) provides the basis for a claim by an individual without a disability that the individual was subject to discrimination because of the individual's lack of disability.

Declares that the authority of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations includes the authority to issue regulations implementing the definitions of this Act.

(Sec. 7) Makes conforming amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Cosponsors 77

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 31, 2008 to Sep 11, 2008; 55 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-PAArlen SpecterOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-ILBarack ObamaOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-MDBarbara A. MikulskiOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-MDBenjamin L. CardinOriginalJul 31, 2008
I-VTBernard SandersOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-FLBill NelsonOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-MICarl LevinOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-NYCharles E. SchumerOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-CTChristopher J. DoddOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-MOClaire McCaskillOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-MAEdward M. KennedyOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-NJFrank R. LautenbergOriginalJul 31, 2008
R-OHGeorge V. VoinovichOriginalJul 31, 2008
R-ORGordon H. SmithOriginalJul 31, 2008
D-NVHarry ReidOriginalJul 31, 2008
Show all 77 cosponsors

Actions 17

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Sep 25, 2008Signed by President.
  2. Sep 25, 2008Became Public Law No: 110-325.
  3. Sep 23, 2008Presented to President.
  4. Sep 17, 2008Mr. Miller, George moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  5. Sep 17, 2008Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8286-8298)
Show all 17 actions

In the Congressional Record 8

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
SenateDebate and remarks S9626Harry Reid D-NVSep 26, 2008
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E1841George Miller D-CASep 18, 2008
HouseDebate and remarks H8286–H8298Text printed H8286Chris Van Hollen D-MD, F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. R-WI, Fortney Pete Stark D-CA, George Miller D-CA, Howard P. "Buck" McKeon R-CA, James R. Langevin D-RI, Jerrold Nadler D-NY, Joe Courtney D-CT, John Shimkus R-IL, Robert E. Andrews D-NJ, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Steny H. Hoyer D-MD, Tammy Baldwin D-WISep 17, 2008
SenateDebate and remarks S8890Carl Levin D-MISep 16, 2008
SenateDebate and remarks S8475Michael B. Enzi R-WYSep 12, 2008
SenateDebate and remarks S8342–S8356Text printed S8342–S8344Christopher J. Dodd D-CT, Edward M. Kennedy D-MA, John Barrasso R-WY, Orrin G. Hatch R-UT, Richard J. Durbin D-IL, Tom Harkin D-IASep 11, 2008
SenateDebate and remarks S7983Harry Reid D-NVAug 1, 2008
SenateDebate and remarks S7956–S7959, S7981Text printed S7957Orrin G. Hatch R-UT, Richard J. Durbin D-IL, Tom Harkin D-IA (text)Jul 31, 2008

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

CRS reports 6

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 6

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 3195ADA Amendments Act of 2008Related billJun 27, 2008

Titles 5

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
A bill to restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Short Titles as Introduced
ADA Amendments Act of 2008
Short Titles as Passed House
ADA Amendments Act of 2008
Short Titles as Passed Senate
ADA Amendments Act of 2008
Short Titles as Enacted
ADA Amendments Act of 2008

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues.

Text 3

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Sep 19, 2008Enrolled Bill
  2. Sep 11, 2008Engrossed in Senate
  3. Aug 1, 2008Placed on Calendar Senate

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.