HHS Issues Final Rule on Section 504

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced the finalization of a rule aimed at prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs, titled Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Health and Human Service Programs or Activities.

The finalized rule represents HHS’ latest effort in alignment with Executive Order 14091 and is the culmination of decades of advocacy to update the federal regulations, which have not been updated since the 1970s. The rule intends to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to health and human service programs and activities, free from discrimination. HHS has provided the public with a fact sheet that describes the rule in its entirety.