Federal Judge Vacates 2023 HHS Disability Rule Expanding Section 504 Protections
A district court vacated the 2023 HHS Section 504 expansion, halting new requirements for medical equipment and electronic accessibility. The ruling raises questions about enforcement of existing disability protections in health settings. Appeals are expected within weeks.
The ruling targets the 2023 HHS final rule that updated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to cover long COVID, obesity, and gender dysphoria as disabilities while mandating accessible medical equipment and electronic health records. Plaintiffs argued the rule exceeded statutory authority and imposed unworkable costs on providers. The decision creates immediate uncertainty for hospitals and clinics that had begun compliance planning.
DOJ Civil Rights Division: Appeals court will restore at least 60% of the vacated provisions by Q2 2027
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/25/health-news-federal-judge-rolls-back-landmark-disability-protections/)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/14/2023-18972/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-in-programs-or-activities-receiving-federal-financial)