ADA Amendments Act of 2008

In the nerdy world of employment lawyers, this was a big week. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a landmark bill to overhaul the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bill passed the House by a surprising vote of 402 to 17 on Wednesday. It now goes to the Senate, where it faces greater hurdles.

For employment lawyers, this is a big deal. Origionally known as the ADA Restoration Act, the bill legislatively overturns four U.S. Supreme Court cases. Perhaps most significantly, the bill overturns the Sutton decision, which held that employees do not have disabilities if they could correct their impairments with "mitigating measures," such as medication or medical devises. It remains to be seen what the Senate will do with this bill, though it arrives in the Senate with a good deal of momentum.