This legislation updates state disability regulations that have fallen behind federal standards in the past decade. The key action this bill takes to make Massachusetts more accessible is by making changes to the Architectural Access Board (AAB), a state-level board that develops and enforces regulations designed to make public buildings accessible to, functional for, and safe for use by persons with disabilities.

If passed, this bill will add an additional member of the disability advocacy community to the AAB. It also extends the AAB’s regulatory authority to employee areas of public buildings, expands its authority to spaces around buildings like parking lots and sidewalks, and aligns the body’s definition of “public building” with ADA regulations.

Previously, much of the language of this bill was included in the House version of the 2022 Economic Development bill, but was later dropped as part of the process to pass a narrow bill during informal session.