Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)

Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA, 2008)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 110–325)

2) Why It Was Done
The ADAAA was enacted to restore the broad protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 after a series of Supreme Court decisions had narrowed the definition of “disability.”

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The original ADA protected individuals with disabilities, but rulings such as Sutton v. United Airlines (1999) and Toyota v. Williams (2002) excluded many with chronic illnesses or controlled conditions. The ADAAA explicitly rejected these rulings.

Acts

Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)

Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA, 2008)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (29 U.S.C. § 1185a; 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-26)

2) Why It Was Done
The MHPAEA was enacted to require health insurance plans that offer mental health or substance use disorder benefits to provide them at parity with medical and surgical benefits—meaning no stricter limits or higher costs.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 prohibited annual and lifetime dollar limits on mental health benefits but had major loopholes. MHPAEA strengthened and expanded these protections, especially for addiction services.

Acts

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 117–159)

2) Why It Was Done
Passed in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX, the Act was designed to enhance background checks, fund mental health and school safety programs, and support state “red flag” laws.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The Gun Control Act of 1968 and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993) created federal gun background check systems. This Act updated and expanded those frameworks without creating sweeping new bans.