[Nfb-idaho] FW: Advocacy Needed: HR 620

[Dana Ard]

Everyone needs to call representative Simpson and Labrador and tell them to
vote against this bill. The number for the capital switchboard is 202
224-3121. I was just thinking that access to business includes the help we
can get at stores to do our shopping. Blindness will not keep us from living
the lives we want, but being denied access to businesses will. If you know
people not on this list ask them to call so our representatives know how the
blind of Idaho and this country feel.

 

From: Beth Cunningham [mailto:bcunningham at icbvi.idaho.gov] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2018 8:59 AM
To: Dana Ard
Subject: FW: Advocacy Needed: HR 620
Importance: High

 

 

 

From: Stephen Wooderson [mailto:Swooderson at Rehabnetwork.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2018 6:36 AM
To: RehabNet
Subject: Advocacy Needed: HR 620
Importance: High

 

Good morning,

 

We received this message last night from our Hill contacts.  This looks to
be a critical issue for our community.  Staff will be doing follow up
advocacy work on this matter, however, if you have the ability to weigh in
with your Members we strongly encourage you to do so.  The message below
pretty well outlines the issue and talking points.  Time is of the essence.
The attached provides more details.

 

If you have questions, please direct them to Rita.  Thanks.

 

s

 

Stephen A. Wooderson

CEO - CSAVR

1 Research Court, Suite 450

Rockville, MD 20850

301-519-8023 - Office

202-604-7880 - Cell

 

The House of Representatives will most likely be voting next week on a bill
that will strip away civil rights of people with disabilities.

 

HR 620 would do the following:

 

.         Eliminate the need for businesses and other entities that offer
services to the public to meet accessibility requirements until a complaint
is filed against them

.         Limit the ability to file a complaint unless it is in writing,
specifies the exact part of the law that is being violated, whether the
person complaining has made a direct complaint to the business, and whether
the barrier or lack of access is permanent or temporary

.         The person with a disability must then wait up to 180 days for the
business to "fix" the complaint; therefore denying the person with a
disability access to the services for the waiting period

.         Also, a business could have more than 180 days to fix the
complaint if they are making "substantial progress" to fix the complaint

 

This bill attacks the rights of people with disabilities because of
"frivolous" law suits being brought by lawyers against businesses. This
"problem" is about lawyers who are bad actors and should not be "solved" by
gutting the rights of people with disabilities. 

 

As of yesterday afternoon this is what our House folks are looking at for
timelines:

 

Tuesday the 13th-The House Rules Committee will meet to set the process for
consideration of the bill

Wed or Thursday (14th or 15th)-probable floor vote on the bill

 

The House leadership looks like they really want to push this through next
week. Congressmen and women in the House of Representatives need to hear
from the community now. 

 

Attached is a resource list for advocating efforts. Also attached is a copy
of the House Judiciary Committee report on the bill.  The dissenting views
section (pp. 17-27) is very good and can be used to argue against the bill.
As a summary of talking points on the bill here is what can be said:

 

.         HR 620 will take away the civil rights of people with disabilities

.         It will make people with disabilities wait for up to 180 days for
services that other people have immediate access to

.         The wait may be even longer than 180 days because a business that
is making "substantial progress" toward fixing a problem can take even
longer than 180 days

.         HR 620 will eliminate the need for businesses to be accessible
until a complaint is received; there will be no need to make a business
accessible until someone complains; that will mean many groups building new
buildings, renovating buildings, opening new businesses will not make their
services accessible

.         HR 620 shifts the burden of accessibility from those who offer
services to the person with a disability; no other group needs to prove
their right to access to publically offered services

.         We should not be gutting the rights of people with disabilities;
if there is a problem, we should be limiting the actions of a small number
of lawyers who are bad actors

.         HR 620 will take away the civil rights of people with
disabilities; would we ever think about eliminating the rights of any other
group of Americans? This is disgraceful. 

 

 

 

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