How to Protect Section 504

Texas v. Becerra is a court case in Texas. A group of 17 states have sued the United States government. The states are asking the court to get rid of Section 504.Section 504 is an important law that protects people with disabilities. Section 504 says you can’t discriminate against disabled people if you get money from the United States government. To discriminate means to treat people badly because of who they are. Section 504 says you cannot treat people badly because of their disabilities.

• Join The DISrupt Coalition
• Sign Petitions

Education About Section 504

17 states sued the United States government. They asked the court to get rid of Section 504. The states disagree with a few things in the updated Section 504 rules. But the lawsuit asks the court to get rid of all the updated rules – and to get rid of Section 504 itself, not just the rules they disagree with. The lawsuit says that Section 504 goes against the United States Constitution. The lawsuit says that no one should have to follow any part of Section 504. If the 17 states win, this would be a disaster for people with disabilities.

• Read the Lawsuit
• Understanding Texas v. Becerra
• Video: Power of 504
• DREFD Brief Recording
• DREFD Brief FAQs

Action Items

• National Protect 504 Petition
• GA Protect 504
• IN Protect 504 Petition
• KS Protect 504 Petition
• LA Protect 504 Petition
• OH Protect 504 Petition
• SD Protect 504 Petition
• WV Protect 504 Petition
• UT Protect 504 Petition
• Available on 5 Calls App
• Email Template

What Will Happen Next?

The judge set a schedule for the case. The 17 states and the United States government will give the court papers about how the court should rule on the case. They will give the papers from December 2024 to April 2025. Other states that support Section 504 may want to file their own papers with the court. Disability groups may want to file amicus briefs. Amicus briefs are papers that people or groups can send to a court during a court case. The people or groups who send amicus briefs are not part of the court case. They are not the people suing or being sued. People and groups use amicus briefs to explain what decision they want the court to make, and why. After the court has all the papers, it will make a decision about the case.