Committee authorizes Legislative Council to draft long-form bill for statewide ADA coordinator (H.861)

The House General and Housing committee voted Feb. 20 to ask Legislative Council to draft a long-form version of H.861, a short-form bill proposing a statewide Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator.

Katie McGlenn of the Office of Legislative Council told the committee the short form "proposes to establish an independent Americans with Disability Act coordinator within state government" and listed drafting issues the panel must answer: where in state government the position would sit, whether it would be independent or placed inside an existing agency, the role’s responsibilities, qualifications and whether it would require staff and an appropriation.

Why it matters: Members told Legislative Council the state lacks a coordinated mechanism to ensure consistent ADA implementation across agencies. One member with experience supporting ADA clients urged a coordinator to address Title II coordination problems that have resulted in lawsuits and inconsistent service provision.

Members discussed practical options: housing the coordinator in the Agency of Administration, starting with a single full-time position, and taking testimony from people with lived experience during drafting. Committee members also debated whether the position should be minimal (budget-conscious “half a loaf”) or ambitious and fully resourced, with multiple members urging a long-form draft to enable fuller consideration.

The chair declared an expression of support and stated that a vote had occurred authorizing Legislative Council to draft the long-form H.861 and to communicate with Representative Burrows during drafting. Legislative Council said it has enough information for an initial outline and requested additional direction on the coordinator’s scope before finalizing a draft.

What’s next: Legislative Council will draft the long-form bill and may consult with Representative Burrows and committee members; the committee signaled it may take testimony if it later decides to move the bill forward.