Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) has introduced the Protecting Small Businesses from Predatory Website Lawsuits Act, a legislative effort to shield small business owners from exploitative legal tactics.
Information from Graves’s website says the bill is designed to give entrepreneurs a fair opportunity to make their websites accessible to Americans with disabilities, rather than being forced into costly “sue-and-settle” schemes that often prioritize financial gain over actual accessibility improvements.
The legislation addresses a growing trend where small businesses in North Missouri and across the country are targeted with “copy-and-paste” demand letters. These letters claim website non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and typically demand immediate cash settlements. Rather than encouraging a fix, trial attorneys often use the threat of years of expensive litigation to pressure “mom-and-pop” shops into paying out, even if the business was unaware of the technical requirements.
Rep. Graves emphasized that small businesses should not be forced to choose between paying for a legal defense and paying their employees. “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 stated. “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.”
Under the proposed changes to the ADA, a civil lawsuit regarding website compliance cannot be filed until the owner or operator is officially notified of the specific issues. Once notified, the business is granted a 180-day window to bring the website into compliance. By allowing small business owners a chance to make things right, this legislation seeks to protect Main Street America while strengthening the ADA by ensuring more websites are actually accessible to Americans with disabilities.
