Five States Continue Legal Challenge to Federal Disability Rights Protections Under Section 504
Five states—Texas, Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, and Montana—are continuing their legal challenge against federal regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in the case of *Texas v. Kennedy*. These states have filed a corrected joint motion for entry of final judgment, asking the court to vacate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Section 504 integration provision and related regulatory references to the 'most integrated setting.' This legal action is not a new lawsuit but a revised filing in an existing case. The states are seeking to block key federal regulations that clarify how Section 504 must be enforced, particularly those protections tied to community living for disabled individuals. These regulations, issued in 2024, affirm the right of people with disabilities to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate and clarify that discrimination can occur when state policies or service gaps put individuals at risk of unnecessary institutionalization. 
