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Plain Language Explainer: Texas v. Becerra Section 504 Under Attack

Texas v. Becerra could put long-standing disability civil rights protections under Section 504 at risk.

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Visual Description

This ASL video features a CDI, April, a Black woman with blonde hair, wearing a black blouse and a pink shirt, signing against a solid background. Dynamic text effects highlight key points, including “Texas v. Becerra, Section 504 Under Attack” (0:05), “What is Texas v. Becerra?” (0:44), “What is Section 504?” (1:05), “Why Section 504 is Important?” (2:30), and “What Do 17 States Want?” (3:45). At 5:42 and 5:48, “DROP OUT OF THE CASE” appears, followed by a list of 17 states at 5:50. At 6:09, the DREDF website with the link dredf.org/protect-504 is shown. The next slide features animated text dropping in sequence: on the left, “CALL YOUR” → “STATE ATTORNEY” → “GENERAL”, and on the right, “DROP” → “OUT OF” → “THE CASE”. The video ends with “PROTECT 504” alongside the DREDF and Deaf Equality logos.

Texas v. Becerra Section 504 Under Attack

What is a lawsuit? What does it mean to sue? A lawsuit is a kind of court case. The person who starts the lawsuit asks the court to fix a problem they are having. To sue someone means to start a lawsuit against them. State governments and the United States government can sue each other. When governments sue each other, they are usually trying to get the court to change a law or government rule.

What is Texas v. Becerra?

Texas v. Becerra is a court case in Texas. A group of 17 states have sued the United States government. The states are asking the court to get rid of Section 504.

What is Section 504?

Section 504 is an important law that protects people with disabilities. Section 504 says you can’t discriminate against disabled people if you get money from the United States government. To discriminate means to treat people badly because of who they are. Section 504 says you cannot treat people badly because of their disabilities. Section 504 has rules that explain what disability discrimination is. The rules say that places like schools, hospitals, and doctors’ offices have to include people with disabilities. The rules say what these places have to do to include people with disabilities. Anyone who gets money from the United States government to serve the public or do business has to follow the rules. The United States government finished the first Section 504 rules in 1977. Many disabled people protested so that the government would make the rules strong. The United States government updates the Section 504 rules over time. The government just finished updating the rules in 2024. Many disability advocates wrote to the government about what to put in the rules. The updated rules are stronger and have more examples about what disability discrimination is.

Why is Section 504 important?

Section 504 covers all parts of society that get money from the United States government. Section 504 and its rules are very important, especially in education and healthcare. Here are some ways that Section 504 and its rules help us. The rules in Section 504 say that: Schools must include students with disabilities and help them learn. Doctors and schools must have sign language interpreters for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing who sign. Videos must have captions. Doctors must give clear information to disabled people. This includes people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Websites for schools and hospitals must work for people who are blind or low-vision. Doctors and hospitals cannot stop helping someone because they have a disability. Doctors and hospitals must have tools and machines that work for wheelchair users. This includes machines that check for cancer. What do the 17 states want? Seventeen states sued the United States government. They asked the court to get rid of Section 504. The states disagree with a few things in the updated Section 504 rules. But the lawsuit asks the court to get rid of all the updated rules – and to get rid of Section 504 itself, not just the rules they disagree with. The lawsuit says that Section 504 goes against the United States Constitution. The lawsuit says that no one should have to follow any part of Section 504. If the 17 states win, this would be a disaster for people with disabilities.

What will happen next?

The judge set a schedule for the case. The 17 states and the United States government will give the court papers about how the court should rule on the case. They will give the papers from December 2024 to April 2025. Other states that support Section 504 may want to file their own papers with the court. Disability groups may want to file amicus briefs. Amicus briefs are papers that people or groups can send to a court during a court case. They are not the people suing or being sued. The people or groups who send amicus briefs are not part of the court case. People and groups use amicus briefs to explain what decision they want the court to make, and why. After the court has all the papers, it will make a decision about the case.

What can I do to help?

Tell your state attorney general to drop out of the case. You can do more if you live in a state bringing the case. You can ask your state Attorney General to drop out of the case. The following states are bringing the case: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia.

Learn more about what you can do to help: dredf.org/protect-504

FULL UPDATE

Texas v. Becerra is a federal lawsuit brought by a group of 17 states against the United States government. The case challenges Section 504 — one of the most important disability civil rights laws in the country — and could have far-reaching consequences for people with disabilities if the court rules against the federal government.

Section 504 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by programs and institutions that receive federal funding. For decades, it has helped ensure that schools, hospitals, and public agencies provide equal access and reasonable accommodations. These protections have made it possible for disabled people to participate more fully in education, healthcare, employment, and public life.

The law requires schools to include students with disabilities and provide supports that help them learn. It requires healthcare providers to ensure effective communication, including providing sign language interpreters and accessible information. It also requires public institutions to make their programs usable by people with a wide range of disabilities — from wheelchair access to accessible digital services.

In 2024, the federal government finalized updates to the Section 504 regulations to clarify protections and strengthen guidance on what disability discrimination looks like in practice. Many disability advocates supported these updates because they provide clearer expectations for accessibility and inclusion.

However, the states involved in Texas v. Becerra are asking the court not only to block the updated rules, but to invalidate Section 504 entirely. If successful, this would remove longstanding protections that millions of disabled people rely on every day.

The outcome of this case could affect how schools serve students with disabilities, whether healthcare providers must ensure accessible communication, and how federally funded programs include disabled people. In short, the stakes are extremely high.

The court has set a schedule for filings, with both sides submitting legal arguments through early 2025. Other states, disability organizations, and advocates may file briefs to explain why maintaining Section 504 protections is critical.

Deaf Equality is closely monitoring developments and working alongside partners to ensure communities understand what is happening and how they can respond.

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Public Release – Plain Language Explainer: Texas v. Becerra

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