VERNON Hills, IL – State Representative Carol Sente, D-Vernon Hills, is calling on the governor to sign her legislation, House Bill 1462, into law in observation of the 23rd anniversary of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Our state was once at the forefront of maintaining accessibility standards for persons with disabilities, but in recent years, this priority has fallen to the wayside,” Sente said. “The Environmental Barriers Act of Illinois has remained relatively unchanged since 1997, so my legislation proposes that we set a clear timetable for the state’s Capital Development Board to update our outdated accessibility code so that buildings in Illinois will meet or exceed federal guidelines.”
House Bill 1462 passed with unanimous support out of both chambers and currently awaits the governor’s signature. If signed into law, it will require the Capital Development Board to update the Illinois Environmental Barriers Act by using the federal Americans with Disabilities architectural guidelines as a model. The Americans with Disabilities Act was originally signed into law on July 26, 1990 and has since been updated on the federal level as recently as 2010.
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“One of my top priorities, as both a legislator and leader in the architecture industry, is ensuring that our public buildings are accessible to all residents of our communities, because everyone should have the same opportunity to live as independently and safely as possible,” said Sente. “I am urging the governor to sign this into law, and recognize the state’s obligation to provide equal, uninhibited access to all the residents of Illinois.”
For more information, please contact Sente’s full time constituent service office at (847) 478-9909, or e-mail RepSente@gmail.com.
