Graves introduces legislation to protect small businesses from growing number of predatory ADA lawsuits

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- A new piece of legislation has been introduced by Congressman Sam Graves to protect small businesses from sue-and-settle schemes.

The bill is formally known as the Protecting Small Businesses from Predatory Website Lawsuits Act, which will safeguard small businesses when they seek to create or update websites to make them accessible for Americans with disabilities.

According to an announcement for the bill, small businesses in North Missouri and across the country are being hit with copy-and-paste demand letters, claiming their websites aren’t ADA-compliant. In a growing number of cases, trial attorneys are demanding cash or threatening to drag mom-and-pop shops into years of expensive litigation instead of giving small businesses a chance to make corrective action in a suitable timeframe.

“Small businesses should not be targeted and exploited for a quick cash grab. They should not have to choose between paying a lawyer or paying their employees," Graves said in a press release. "These lawsuits are not about helping or ensuring access for customers, they are about making money off hardworking business owners. This bill gives small businesses much-needed protection."

The bill also amends the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so a civil lawsuit regarding website compliance cannot be filed until the owner or operator of the website is given notice of their website not having noncompliance with ADA standards and regulations.

In the event of this happening, the owner or operator of the website is given 180 days to make the necessary changes for their website to be in compliance.