New and existing buildings receiving funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) won’t have to meet accessibility requirements starting September 12. On May 16, the agency used a direct final rule to announce it’s rescinding a rule requiring any building receiving federal funds, whether for new construction or undergoing renovation, to be made accessible.
DOE said the Section 504 rule, which was written by the then Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and incorporated by Congress into the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is unnecessary because of other federal requirements, so it is fast-tracking the rule rescission. The agency intended to make the rescission effective July 15, but pushed the date back to September 12.