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S 4766118th CongressFailed / ExpiredSenate

Section 508 Refresh Act of 2024

Policy Area: Government Operations and Politics
View on Congress.gov
Origin Chamber
Senate
Last Updated
Apr 21, 2025
Latest Action Date
Jul 24, 2024

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Official Summary

Official summary has not been imported yet.

GovScope Watchdog™

AI Government Intelligence™
Executive Summary

The Section 508 Refresh Act of 2024 is a Senate bill introduced in the 118th Congress aimed at updating and improving the accessibility standards for electronic and information technology used by federal agencies. The bill seeks to ensure that technology procured or developed by the government is accessible to individuals with disabilities, aligning with the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions but ultimately failed or expired without further legislative action. No full bill text or official summary is available, limiting detailed analysis.

Bottom Line

This bill intended to update federal accessibility standards for technology but did not advance beyond committee referral and expired in the 118th Congress.

Policy Risk Level
🟡 Medium
Neutral Risk Assessment
Key Points
  • The bill focuses on refreshing Section 508 accessibility standards for federal electronic and information technology.
  • It was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  • The bill did not progress beyond referral and is currently classified as failed or expired.
Who Benefits?

['Individuals with disabilities who rely on accessible technology', 'Federal agencies responsible for procuring and developing technology', 'Technology vendors and developers working with federal contracts']

Potential Concerns

['Lack of available full bill text limits understanding of specific provisions and implementation requirements', 'Potential costs and resource needs for federal agencies to update technology and comply with refreshed standards', 'Oversight and enforcement mechanisms are unclear due to missing detailed legislative language']

Political Context

The bill was introduced in the Senate during the 118th Congress and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It did not advance further and expired, indicating limited legislative momentum or prioritization. The policy area is Government Operations and Politics, focusing on federal technology accessibility compliance.

Hidden Impact Review

Hidden impact flags detected: 1

GovScope reviewed 1 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.

1 Detected
Detected Flags
Indirect Effects

['If enacted, the bill could lead to increased demand for accessible technology solutions in the federal market.', 'Federal agencies might need to allocate additional resources for compliance training and technology upgrades.', 'Improved accessibility standards could influence private sector technology development through federal procurement requirements.']

GovScope Watchdog Notes

Transparency is limited due to the absence of the full bill text and official summary, which constrains detailed oversight and public understanding. Monitoring committee actions and legislative updates is necessary to track any future efforts to refresh Section 508 standards. The bill's failure to advance highlights the importance of legislative prioritization in accessibility policy.

Passage Likelihood: LowConfidence: 70%Model: gpt-4.1-mini

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