[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 126 (Monday, June 30, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37055-37056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14306]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

28 CFR Parts 35 and 36


Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local 
Government Services and Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by 
Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities; Hearing

AGENCY: Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.

ACTION: Notice of hearing.

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SUMMARY: On June 17, 2008, the Department of Justice (Department) 
published two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register to 
amend regulations issued under Titles II and III of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act (ADA). Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in 
State and Local Government Services, 73 FR 34466; Nondiscrimination on 
the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial 
Facilities, 73 FR 34508. In this issue of the Federal Register, the 
Department published corrections for the proposed rules that included 
two appendices inadvertently omitted from the June 17, 2008, 
publication. In order to provide an opportunity for interested persons 
to express their views directly to Department officials, the Department 
will hold a public hearing in Washington, DC, on the proposed 
regulatory amendments.

DATES: The public hearing is scheduled for July 15, 2008, 9 a.m. to 5 
p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held at the Marriott Hotel at Metro 
Center, 775 12th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005, (202) 737-2200.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Garrett, Civil Rights Program 
Specialist, Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division at (202) 
353-0423 (TTY). This is not a toll-free number. Information also may be 
obtained from the Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 
514-0301 (Voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TTY), 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on 
Thursday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 17, 2008, the Department published 
two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the Department's 
regulations issued under Titles II and III of the ADA. Title II of the 
ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the 
activities of State and local governments, whereas Title III prohibits 
discrimination in public accommodations and commercial facilities. The 
Department has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed amendments in 
order to provide an opportunity to interested persons, including 
individuals with disabilities, to express their views about the 
proposed changes. Entities, organizations, and individuals who wish to 
present comments at the hearing are encouraged to register in advance 
by calling the ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (Voice) or (800) 
514-0383 (TTY) by July 7, 2008. Organizations should designate no more 
than one individual to speak on behalf of the organization. Commenters 
who are not able to testify in person will have the option to present 
their comments using a speaker telephone, telephone relay service, or 
video relay service. The Department will attempt to provide an 
approximate time for the receipt of comments from those who register in 
advance; however, persons who register in advance should report to the 
registration desk at the hearing at least one-half hour prior to their 
scheduled time in order to confirm the time and order of their 
presentations. Those who register to comment via speaker telephone, 
telephone relay service, or video relay service should be available at 
the number they provided during pre-registration at least one-half hour 
before their scheduled time.
    Some time at the hearing will be reserved for those who do not 
register in advance. These persons may register on-site at the 
registration desk, which will open one hour before the hearing is 
scheduled to begin and will operate throughout the day. Time to make 
their presentations will be assigned when open slots are available.
    Comments will be limited to five minutes per person or 
organization, but commenters who wish to may supplement their testimony 
with written statements that will be made part of the official hearing 
record. If the Department determines that there is not enough time to 
hear from all those wishing to present comments, the Department will 
select among those wishing to testify in order to ensure representation 
of a range of viewpoints and interests. A laptop computer and 
projection screen will be available for

[[Page 37056]]

commenters wishing to use a PowerPoint presentation in conjunction with 
their testimony.
    The hearing site will be accessible to individuals with 
disabilities. Sign language interpreters, real-time captioning, and 
assistive listening devices will be provided. Individuals who require 
other accommodations, auxiliary aids, or foreign language translation 
should contact Linda Garrett at (202) 353-0423 (TTY) or by e-mail at 
[email protected] no later than July 7, 2008. Additional 
information, including information about accessible public 
transportation and parking, will be available on the ADA Home Page at 
http://www.ada.gov. The proposed rules and the initial regulatory 
impact analysis are available electronically in accessible formats at 
http://www.regulations.gov and http://www.ada.gov. This hearing notice 
is available electronically in accessible formats at http://www.ada.gov, Copies of this notice also are available in formats 
accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision and may be 
obtained by calling the ADA Information Line.
    Those persons who are not able to participate in the public hearing 
are encouraged to submit written comments electronically to http://www.regulations.gov or by mail as follows: ADA NPRM, P.O. Box 2846, 
Fairfax, VA 22031-0846. Overnight deliveries should be sent to the 
Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of 
Justice, located at 1425 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 4039, Washington, 
DC 20005. All comments will be made available for public viewing online 
at http://www.regulations.gov and must be received by August 18, 2008.

    Dated: June 19, 2008.
Grace Chung Becker,
Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
 [FR Doc. E8-14306 Filed 6-27-08; 8:45 am]
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