It's now 'Senator' Budd

[JANUARY 10, 2023, NEW YORK] Former Representative Ted Budd (R-NC) joins the 118th Congress as the Junior Senator from the state of North Carolina.

Senator Budd championed two bills aimed at addressing the statutory ambiguities that exist concerning web accessibility during his three-term tenure as the Representative of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District.

Vice President Kamala Harris swore in the members-elect of the United States Senate on January 3, 2023. A total of seven members-elect swore their oaths for the first time.

As North Carolina's junior senator, Ted Budd succeeds Richard Burr. From 2017 to 2023, Budd served as the U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District. In November of 2022, then-Representative Budd defeated the Democratic candidate, former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, Cheri Beasley in the General Election. As of now, Senator Budd is not yet assigned to any committees as he joins a Republican minority.

Millions of disabled Americans are systematically isolated by the construction of an inaccessible, hyper-digitized world because of the federal government's apathy towards addressing web accessibility policy inadequacies.

The Online Accessibility Act was sponsored by Senator Budd twice during his tenure in the House of Representatives. Both iterations failed.

The legislation offered businesses guidance on how to implement ADA-compliant websites and ensure that disabled customers can access online content. Budd led 103 Representatives in asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to clarify the Department of Justice's guidelines and position on web accessibility in a letter sent in June of 2018.

The election of Sen. Budd to the Senate provides renewed hope for those seeking to address the inconsistent application of web accessibility doctrine under the Americans with Disabilities Act in varying U.S. jurisdictions. Sen. Budd is joining the Senate just a few months after Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act.

Considering both parties are interested in altering this policy, there appears to be some hope for bipartisan cooperation in passing a bill.

Senator Ted Budd - https://www.congress.gov/member/ted-budd/B001305 (opens in a new window)

Republican Ted Budd wins North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race - https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-senate-race-2022-midterm-elections-73fbfc2a6b07c87097b730bd44d42db9 (opens in a new window)

H.R.1100 - Online Accessibility Act

H. R. 1100 // To amend the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to include consumer facing websites and mobile applications owned or operated by a private entity, to establish web accessibility compliance standards for such websites and mobile applications, and for other purposes. H.R.1100 - Online Accessibility Act, detail (opens in a new window)

ADA Website Compliance Legislation

Reps. Correa & Budd Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Create ADA Website Compliance Standards For Businesses (opens in a new window)