One of the big employment law changes planned by Congress — a bill that would amend the Americans with Disabilities Act — has moved one step closer to passage.

On June 25, the House of Representatives voted on the ADA Amendments Act (previously known as the ADA Restoration Act), which would create several changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act. It was passed by a vote of 402 to 17. A companion bill has been introduced to the Senate.

If passed, the bill would:

• broaden the definition of “a major life activity” by including a non-exhaustive list of such activities: “caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working” and performing “major bodily functions,” and
• forbid employers from considering mitigating measures (such as medicine or medical devices) when deciding whether or not an employee is disabled.

Tags: ADA, ADA Restoration Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, House of Representatives