Congressman Matt Gaetz Applauds Passage of ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) today issued the following statement regarding H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017, which passed the House this afternoon with a vote of 225–192:

"The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 is a victory for the disabled community and for business owners alike. Disabled Americans will be able to have non-ADA-compliant properties remedied swiftly, without incurring the high costs and lengthy wait times of litigation. Business owners will have the chance to make their properties ADA-compliant, without being dragged into time-consuming and expensive lawsuits.

It is sad that so many unscrupulous lawyers have routinely abused the ADA for their own gain. These lawyers have harmed the disabled community and business owners across America. In 2016 alone, there was a 37% increase in the number of ADA Title III lawsuits filed in federal court compared to the previous year.

The common-sense policies included in the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 will help provide greater access to public accommodations for disabled Americans, and will allow business owners to focus on fixing their properties, not defending themselves against endless legal disputes. I am glad this valuable legislation has passed the House, and hope that the Senate will act quickly to protect America's disabled population," Rep. Gaetz said.