Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), are issuing a final rule that amends the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Guidelines to specifically address emergency transportable housing units provided to disaster survivors by entities subject to the ADA or ABA. The final rule ensures that the emergency transportable housing units are readily accessible to and usable by disaster survivors with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is required to update its accessibility standards for the design, construction, and alteration of facilities (other than certain transportation facilities) by entities subject to the ADA to be consistent with the final rule. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is required to update its accessibility standards for the design, construction, and alteration of residential facilities by entities subject to the ABA to be consistent with the final rule.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) plans to hold its regular committee and Board meetings in Washington, DC, Monday through Wednesday, March 10-12, 2014 at the times and location listed below.

On May 23, 2013, we, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), established the Rail Vehicle Access Advisory Committee (Committee) to advise us on revising and updating our accessibility guidelines issued pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act for transportation vehicles that operate on fixed guideway systems (e.g., rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, intercity rail, and high speed rail). The Committee will hold its second meeting on the following dates and times.

The Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold its first meeting. We, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), established the Committee to advise us on revising and updating our accessibility guidelines issued pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act for transportation vehicles that operate on fixed guideway systems (e.g., rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, intercity rail, and high speed rail). The original first meeting, previously scheduled for October 15 and 16, 2013, did not occur due to the federal government shutdown.

We, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), are issuing a final rule that amends the Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines by adding scoping and technical requirements for camping facilities, picnic facilities, viewing areas, trails, and beach access routes constructed or altered by or on behalf of federal agencies. The final rule ensures that these facilities are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. The final rule applies to the following federal agencies and their components that administer outdoor areas developed for recreational purposes: Department of Agriculture (Forest Service); Department of Defense (Army Corps of Engineers); and Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service). The final rule also applies to non-federal entities that construct or alter recreation facilities on federal land on behalf of the federal agencies pursuant to a concession contract, partnership agreement, or similar arrangement.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is extending until January 24, 2014, the comment period for the notice entitled ``Passenger Vessels Accessibility Guidelines,'' that appeared in the Federal Register on June 25, 2013. In that notice, the Access Board proposed accessibility guidelines for passenger vessels and requested comments by September 23, 2013. The Access Board is taking this action to allow interested persons additional time to submit comments.

This notice is given pursuant to the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order 12866 (``Regulatory Planning and Review''), which require the publication by the Department of a semiannual agenda of regulations.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) plans to hold its regular committee and Board meetings in Washington, DC, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9-10, 2013 at the times and location listed below.

The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its seventh meeting. On July 5, 2012, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) established the advisory committee to make recommendations to the Board on matters associated with comments received and responses to questions included in a previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has requested approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of a new information collection. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, we are providing opportunity for public comment on this action. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on December 18, 2012 and allowed 60 days for public comments. Nine comments were received, and the form has been revised in response to these comments. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.

The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its fifth meeting. On July 5, 2012, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) established the advisory committee to make recommendations to the Board on matters associated with comments received and responses to questions included in a previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards.

The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its fourth meeting. On July 5, 2012, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) established the advisory committee to make recommendations to the Board on matters associated with comments received and responses to questions included in a previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards.

We, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) announcing our intent to develop accessibility guidelines for shared used paths. Shared use paths are multi-use paths designed primarily for use by bicyclists and pedestrians, including pedestrians with disabilities, for transportation and recreation purposes. Shared use paths are physically separated from motor vehicle traffic by an open space or barrier, and are either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way. We noted in the ANPRM that we are considering including accessibility guidelines for shared use paths in the accessibility guidelines that we are developing for sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. We subsequently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) requesting comments on proposed accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. The NPRM did not include specific provisions for shared use paths. We are issuing this supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) to include specific provisions for shared use paths in the proposed accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. The proposed accessibility guidelines would apply to the design, construction, and alteration of pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, including shared use paths, covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act, and would ensure that the facilities are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

This notice is given pursuant to the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 (``Regulatory Planning and Review''), which require the publication by the Department of a semiannual agenda of regulations. E.O. 12866 also requires the publication by the Department of a regulatory plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) plans to hold its regular committee and Board meetings in Washington, DC, Monday through Wednesday, January 7-9, 2013 on the times and location listed below.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) plans to request approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of a new information collection. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing opportunity for public comment on this action. After obtaining and considering public comment on this notice, and publishing a second notice requesting public comments for an additional 30 days, we plan to submit an information collection request package to OMB and request approval for three years.

The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold its second meeting. On July 5, 2012, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) established an advisory committee to make recommendations to the Board on matters associated with comments received and responses to questions included in a previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards.

The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold its first meeting on September 27 and 28, 2012.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is holding a public information meeting in Washington, DC on September 19, 2012 on the pending rulemaking to revise and update its accessibility guidelines for buses, over-the-road buses, and vans. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues related to the design and slope of bus ramps and the space needed at the top of ramps by individuals who use wheeled mobility devices to access the fare collection device and to turn into the main aisle. The Access Board is also reopening the comment period on the rulemaking.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has decided to establish an advisory committee to assist on matters associated with comments received and responses to questions included in a previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) proposes to amend the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Guidelines to specifically address emergency transportable housing units that are provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or other entities on a temporary site in response to an emergency need for temporary housing. The proposed amendments seek to ensure that newly constructed and altered emergency transportable housing units covered by the ADA or ABA are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Other federal agencies are required to issue enforceable accessibility standards for the construction and alteration of facilities covered by the ADA or ABA that are consistent with the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines. When the other federal agencies amend their accessibility standards to be consistent with the proposed amendments to the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines, newly constructed and altered emergency transportable housing units covered by the ADA or ABA would be required to comply with the accessibility standards as amended.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board submits the following agenda of proposed regulatory activities which may be conducted by the Agency during the next 12 months. This regulatory agenda may be revised by the Agency during the coming months as a result of action taken by the Board.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is proposing accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment. The proposed standards contain minimum technical criteria to ensure that medical diagnostic equipment, including examination tables, examination chairs, weight scales, mammography equipment, and other imaging equipment used by health care providers for diagnostic purposes are accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. The standards will allow independent entry to, use of, and exit from the equipment by individuals with disabilities to the maximum extent possible. The standards do not impose any mandatory requirements on health care providers or medical device manufacturers. However, other agencies, referred to as an enforcing authority in the standards, may issue regulations or adopt policies that require health care providers subject to their jurisdiction to acquire accessible medical diagnostic equipment that conforms to the standards.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) will hold two public hearings on its recent Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to update its Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines and its Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is reopening until February 2, 2012, the comment period for the notice entitled ``Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way,'' that appeared in the Federal Register on July 26, 2011. In that notice, the Access Board proposed guidelines for accessible public rights-of-way and requested comments by November 23, 2011. The Access Board is taking this action to allow interested persons additional time to submit comments.