<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Hello all,</div><div>If you have family members in any of the states listed below, please ask them to support and Reed</div><div><div dir="ltr">Robert Stigile, Second Vice-President<div>National Federation of the Blind of California</div><div>President San Fernando Valley Chapter</div><div>818-381-9568</div><div>Kn6uvd</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> National Federation of the Blind <webmaster@nfb.org><br><b>Date:</b> February 13, 2025 at 2:02:19 PM PST<br><b>To:</b> Robert Stigile <rstigile@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Legislative Alert: Action Required</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> Bounces+r.24488.10952734.7a9dd8542dc88b89@mailings.nfb.org<br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">sfv<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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<h1><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; color:black;">Immediate Action Required Regarding Section 504</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color:black;">Dear Federation Members,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color:black;">A number of you have asked about the below matter. The National Federation of the Blind is deeply concerned about the Texas v. Becerra case that has been brought by seventeen states’ attorney generals. These seventeen states (Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia) have sued the federal government regarding updated rules which add “gender dysphoria” to the federal definition of “disability” under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color:black;">As a result, these states have charged that this addition to the regulations renders Section 504 unconstitutional. As a reminder, Section 504 requires that entities which receive federal funding, like schools and hospitals, cannot discriminate on the basis of disability. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color:black;">Fortunately, we are not alone in our concerns. Other organizations, such as the National Disability Rights Network, the National Council on Independent Living, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and many, many more have also voiced their displeasure with this lawsuit. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color:black;">You can help in this cause! If you live in one of the states listed above, you can contact your state’s attorney general and/or the Governor and ask that the state drop the lawsuit. Be sure to tell them who you are and why Section 504 is important to you so they can fully understand the gravity of the situation. Remind them that Section 504 protects blind and other disabled people from discrimination by entities that receive federal funds. We are carefully monitoring this situation and will keep everyone advised of any new developments. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color:black;">Sincerely,<br>
Mark A. Riccobono, President</span></p>
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