September 12, 2008

Senate Passes ADA Amendment Act of 2008

by Salvatore Gangemi of Murtha Cullina LLP

In June 2008, the House of Representatives passed the ADA Amendment Act of 2008. (See Proposed Amendments to ADA Restore Disability Discrimination Protections, June 28, 2008.) Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed its own version of the ADA Amendment Act. A conformed version will be submitted to the President for signature within the next several weeks.

The ADA Amendment Act goes a long way in restoring protections that were promised by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, but rescinded by unfavorable Supreme Court decisions that interpreted the protections of the statute narrowly.
Stay tuned for greater protection against disability discrimination.

Salvatore G. Gangemi

Salvatore G. Gangemi is a Partner in the Litigation Department of Murtha Cullina and a member of the Labor and Employment Practice Group. Sal advises clients with respect to state, federal and local employment laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, and New York State and City employment laws. Sal counsels clients on day-to-day issues involving workplace management and administration, including requests for reasonable accommodation for disabilities, for family and medical leave, and wage and hour issues. Sal frequently lectures on employment law matters, and at continuing legal education seminars. He has written extensively on employment law issues as well as other legal issues affecting individuals and businesses.