DOJ updates Title II web, app nondiscrimination rule timelines for state and local governments; HHS Section 504 rules remain unchanged

As published April 20, the Department of Justice released an interim final rule in the Federal Register to delay compliance dates for states and local governments to comply with certain Title II regulatory requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The interim final rule applies to state and local government entities, extending compliance deadlines originally promulgated under the final rule for “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities.” For those state and local government entities with a total population of 50,000 or more, compliance deadlines are extended from April 24, 2026, to April 26, 2027. The compliance dates for public entities with a total population of less than 50,000, or any special district government, is extended from April 26, 2027, to April 26, 2028. The effective date for the interim final rule is April 20, 2026.

The DOJ rule released April 20 does not address regulatory compliance deadlines under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Specifically, compliance deadlines for the Department of Health and Human Services' final rule “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance” still remain.