Amendment of Regulations Implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973-Nondiscrimination Based on Disability in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities

The Department of Justice is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking to revise its regulation implementing section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as applicable to programs and activities receiving financial assistance from the Department, in order to incorporate amendments to the statute, including the changes in the meaning and interpretation of the applicable definition of disability required by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008; incorporate requirements stemming from judicial decisions; update accessibility standards applicable to new construction and alteration of buildings and facilities; update certain provisions to promote consistency with comparable provisions implementing title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and make other non-substantive clarifying edits, including updating outdated terminology and references that currently exist in 28 CFR part 42, such as changing the word ``handicapped'' and similar variations of that word to language referencing ``individuals with disabilities,'' modifying the order of the regulatory provisions to group like provisions together, and adding some headings to make the regulation more user-friendly.