Title 3, The PresidentRelease 119-110

§421 Rights and Protections Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Title 3 › CHAPTER 5 — EXTENSION OF CERTAIN RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS TO PRESIDENTIAL OFFICES › SUBCHAPTER II — EXTENSION OF RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS › Part B — Public Access Provisions Under the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 › § 421

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Apply the anti‑discrimination rules from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the parts listed in sections 201, 202, 204, 302, 303, and 309) to the White House and its grounds and gardens, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the New Executive Office Buildings, and any other buildings that house employees of the Executive Office of the President when public services, programs, or activities are offered. For ADA purposes, those places count as a “public entity.” Any remedy for a violation must be the kind of relief allowed under section 203 or 308 of the ADA, except employment discrimination claims must use the exclusive remedy under section 411 of this title. The President or a designee must create rules to carry this out. Those rules should match the agency rules for the same ADA parts unless a clear reason is given to change them, and the President may instead use rules under certain provisions of the Architectural Barriers Act (sections 1, 2, 3, or 6) or section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act if they work as well and make federal rules more uniform. Subsections above take effect when those rules take effect or on October 1, 1998, whichever comes first.

Full Legal Text

Title 3, §421

The President, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Rights and Protections.—
The rights and protections against discrimination in the provision of public services and accommodations established by section 201, 202, and 204, and section 302, 303, and 309, of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 shall apply, to the extent that public services, programs, or activities are provided, with respect to the White House and its appurtenant grounds and gardens, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the New Executive Office Buildings, and any other facility to the extent that offices are provided for employees of the Executive Office of the President.
(b)Remedy.—
The remedy for a violation of subsection (a) shall be such remedy as would be appropriate if awarded under section 203 or 308 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as the case may be, except that, with respect to any claim of employment discrimination, the exclusive remedy shall be under section 411 of this title. A remedy under the preceding sentence shall be enforced in accordance with applicable provisions of such section 203 or 308, as the case may be.
(c)Definition.—
For purposes of the application under this section of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the term “public entity” as used in such Act, means, to the extent that public services, programs, or activities are provided, the White House and its appurtenant grounds and gardens, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the New Executive Office Buildings, and any other facility to the extent that offices are provided for employees of the Executive Office of the President.
(d)Regulations To Implement Section.— (e) Effective Date.—
(1)In general.—
The President, or the designee of the President, shall issue regulations to implement this section.
(2)Agency regulations.—
The regulations issued under paragraph (1) shall be the same as substantive regulations promulgated by the appropriate officer of an executive agency to implement the statutory provisions referred to in subsections (a) and (b)—
(A)except to the extent that the President or designee may determine, for good cause shown and stated together with the regulation, that a modification of such regulations would be more effective for the implementation of the rights and protections under this section; and
(B)except that the President or designee may, at the discretion of the President or designee, issue regulations to implement a provision of section 1, 2, 3, or 6 of the Act entitled “An Act to insure that certain buildings financed with Federal funds are so designed and constructed as to be accessible to the physically handicapped”, approved August 12, 1968 (commonly known as the “Architectural Barriers Act of 1968”) or section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that applies to agencies of the executive branch of the Federal Government in lieu of an analogous statutory provision referred to in subsection (a) or (b), if the issuance of such regulations—
(i)would be equally effective for the implementation of the rights and protections under this section; and
(ii)would promote uniformity in the application of Federal law to agencies of the executive branch of the Federal Government.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, referred to in subsecs. (a) to (c), is Pub. L. 101–336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327, which is classified principally to chapter 126 (§ 12101 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Sections 201 to 204, 302, 303, 308, and 309 of the Act are classified to sections 12131 to 12134, 12182, 12183, 12188, and 12189, respectively, of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 12101 of Title 42 and Tables. section 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the Act of August 12, 1968, commonly known as the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (d)(2)(B), are classified to sections 4151 to 4153 and 4156, respectively, of Title 42. section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, referred to in subsec. (d)(2)(B), is classified to section 791 of Title 29, Labor.

Amendments

1999—Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 106–92 substituted “Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building” for “Old Executive Office Building”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Subsec. (d) of this section effective Oct. 26, 1996, see section 471(b) of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

3 U.S.C. § 421

Title 3, The President

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110