The Legislative History of the ADAAA
A series of Supreme Court decisions triggered the beginning of a conversation about the need to change the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) to ensure the statute was able to live up to its promise. In response, Congress attempted to address the serious problems resulting from the Supreme Court's interpretation of the ADA by introducing the ADA Restoration Act (“ADARA”). A later version was renamed the ADA Amendments Act (“ADAAA”).
The ADAAA restores the original purpose of the ADA by focusing on the discrimination at issue instead of the individual's disability. Unanimously passed by both houses of Congress, President Bush signed the ADAAA into law on September 25, 2008 -- eighteen years and two months after his father signed the original ADA.
Read about the legislative history of The Americans with Disabilities Act Restoration Act (“ADARA”)
Read about the legislative history of The ADA Amendments Act (“ADAAA”)