96-21435. Personnel Relations and Services

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 28, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 44187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21435]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------


GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE
4 CFR Part 7


Personnel Relations and Services

AGENCY: General Accounting Office.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This rule revises the provision concerning GAO's prohibition 
of discrimination against employees or applicants with disabilities by 
eliminating the reference to the Rehabilitation Act and replacing it 
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to clarify that GAO's 
legal responsibilities to the disabled derive from the Americans with 
Disabilities Act rather than the Rehabilitation Act.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before 30 days from September 
27, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to the U.S. General Accounting 
Office, Office of General Counsel, Legal Services Division, Room 7861, 
441 G Street, NW., Washington, DC. 20548.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara J. Simball, Senior Attorney, 
[phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A review of GAO's Personnel Relations 
regulations has shown that the current version of 4 CFR 7.2(c)(4) 
should be revised. In setting forth GAO's equal employment opportunity 
commitments, 4 CFR 7.2(c)(4) implies that GAO is covered by sections 
501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 794a). As 
a legislative branch agency, GAO is not covered by the Rehabilitation 
Act of 1973, but rather by the ADA, which prohibits discrimination 
against persons with disabilities. 4 CFR 7.2 is being amended to 
reflect GAO's coverage by the ADA.

List of Subjects in 4 CFR Part 7

    Civil rights, Nondiscrimination, Employment, Handicapped.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, part 7 of title 4, chapter 
I, subchapter A of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as 
follows:

PART 7--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation to part 7 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 31 U.S.C. 732.

    2. Section 7.2 is amended by revising paragraph (c)(4) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 7.2  Equal employment opportunity.

* * * * *
    (c) ***
    (4) By section 509(c) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12209(c)); or
* * * * *
Robert P. Murphy,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 96-21435 Filed 8-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610-01-P