Reading Room Document

Applicability of the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 to Buildings Financed with Federal Funds

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 applies only where federal grants or loans are used to finance the design, construction, or alteration of a building, and does not apply where a building is merely leased with federal funds. While the text and legislative history of the 1968 Act are ambiguous as to whether its applicability depends on actual issuance of standards for design, construction, or alteration, both subsequent amendments to the Act and consistent administrative interpretation—support the conclusion that the Act applies if such standards are authorized under the law authorizing the grant or loan, even if they have not been issued. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/24471/download.

May 8, 1980