[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 197 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 197

   Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many federally 
  funded facilities for all people of the United States, particularly 
                       people with disabilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 9, 2015

Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
 Brown, and Mr. Schatz) submitted the following resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many federally 
  funded facilities for all people of the United States, particularly 
                       people with disabilities.

Whereas, in 2012, nearly 20 percent of the civilian population in the United 
        States reported having a disability;
Whereas, in 2012, 16 percent of veterans, amounting to more than 3,500,000 
        people, received service-related disability benefits;
Whereas, in 2011, the percentage of working-age people in the United States who 
        reported having a work limitation due to a disability was 7 percent, 
        which is a 20-year high;
Whereas the Act entitled ``An Act to insure that certain buildings financed with 
        Federal funds are so designed and constructed as to be accessible to the 
        physically handicapped'', approved August 12, 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et 
        seq.) (referred to in this preamble as the ``Architectural Barriers Act 
        of 1968''), was enacted to ensure that certain federally funded 
        facilities are designed and constructed to be accessible to people with 
        disabilities and requires that physically handicapped people have ready 
        access to, and use of, post offices and other Federal facilities;
Whereas automatic doors, though not mandated by either the Architectural 
        Barriers Act of 1968 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 
        U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), provide a greater degree of self-sufficiency and 
        dignity for people with disabilities and the elderly, who may have 
        limited strength to open a manually operated door;
Whereas a report commissioned by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
        Compliance Board (referred to in this preamble as the ``Access Board''), 
        an independent Federal agency created to ensure access to federally 
        funded facilities for people with disabilities, recommends that all new 
        buildings for use by the public should have at least one automated door 
        at an accessible entrance, except for small buildings where adding such 
        doors may be a financial hardship for the owners of the buildings;
Whereas States and municipalities have begun to recognize the importance of 
        automatic doors in improving accessibility;
Whereas the laws of the State of Connecticut require automatic doors in certain 
        shopping malls and retail businesses, the laws of the State of Delaware 
        require automatic doors or calling devices for newly constructed places 
        of accommodation, and the laws of the District of Columbia have a 
        similar requirement;
Whereas the Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service, published by 
        the General Services Administration, requires automation of at least one 
        exterior door for all newly constructed or renovated facilities managed 
        by the General Services Administration, including post offices;
Whereas from 2006 to 2011, 71 percent of the complaints received by the Access 
        Board regarding the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 concerned a post 
        office or other facility of the United States Postal Service;
Whereas the United States Postal Service employs approximately 522,000 people, 
        making it the second-largest civilian employer in the United States;
Whereas approximately 3,200,000 people visit 1 of the 31,857 post offices in the 
        United States each day; and
Whereas the United States was founded on principles of equality and freedom, and 
        these principles require that all people, including people with 
        disabilities, are able to engage as equal members of society: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the immense hardships that people with 
        disabilities in the United States must overcome every day;
            (2) reaffirms its support of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
        insure that certain buildings financed with Federal funds are 
        so designed and constructed as to be accessible to the 
        physically handicapped'', approved August 12, 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
        4151 et seq.), commonly known as the ``Architectural Barriers 
        Act of 1968'', and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
        (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), and encourages full compliance with 
        such Acts;
            (3) recommends that the United States Postal Service and 
        Federal agencies install power-assisted doors at post offices 
        and other federally funded facilities, respectively, to ensure 
        equal access for all people of the United States; and
            (4) pledges to continue to work to identify and remove the 
        barriers that prevent all people of the United States from 
        having equal access to the services provided by the Federal 
        Government.
                                 <all>