The ADA Amendments Act of 2008

On September 25, 2008, President Bush signed into law the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (the “Act”). The Act carries out the Americans with Disabilities Act’s objectives of providing a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination and clear, strong, consistent and enforceable standards addressing discrimination by reinstating a broad scope of protection to be available under the ADA which had been narrowed by the courts since the passage of the ADA. The Act is effective on January 1, 2009. The EEOC and other applicable federal agencies must now issue clarifying regulations.This issue of the Filice Insurance Legislative Brief provides a brief overview of the Act.