Missouri lawmakers are advancing legislation this week targeting lawsuits over website accessibility that affect small businesses. The House approved measures establishing a formal notice-and-cure process and providing judges with additional tools to address repeat filings. Supporters say the bills aim to reduce demand letters that impose high legal costs on small businesses and pressure them into quick settlements.
What the bills do next
The centerpiece measure, House Bill 1694, has cleared the Missouri House and now heads to the Senate. According to the Missouri House of Representatives, the bill bundles several similar proposals under an "Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation." Sponsors say it would give courts clearer standards for spotting fee-driven suits while still preserving legitimate ADA claims.
How long businesses would have to fix sites
Under the House package, businesses would generally have 90 days to respond to a notice and correct website problems before a private lawsuit can proceed. A separate Senate proposal would shorten that cure window to 30 days, a difference that lawmakers and business owners say could decide how feasible fixes are for small shops, as reported by KBIA. Supporters argue a longer period gives real time to make technical fixes instead of pushing owners into quick settlements.
Federal push and business groups
In Washington, Rep. Sam Graves introduced a federal companion called the Protecting Small Businesses from Predatory Website Lawsuits Act, saying it would require notice and a chance to cure before litigation, according to a press release from Rep. Sam Graves. The Missouri push has also drawn backing from business and trade groups, including the National Federation of Independent Business and state chambers, according to reporting by the Missouri Independent.
DOJ weighs in on settlements
The Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest on Feb. 2 in a California case, warning a proposed class settlement rewarded attorneys more than people with vision disabilities and urging courts to demand meaningful injunctive relief. That intervention, in a dispute over an online retailer, signals federal caution about using civil claims primarily to enrich class counsel, according to the Department of Justice.
Small businesses told lawmakers the problem is real
Local owners and web designers offered sharp testimony to House committees about the burden of demand letters. Scott Fetterman of Fetterman's Deli said he was issued a warning 20 days after opening a second location and had to take his site offline while building a new one, and web designer Sandy Waggett told lawmakers six of her clients had been sued and one business closed, the Missouri Independent reports. Lawmakers also heard tourism and entertainment businesses at the Lake of the Ozarks sometimes pay roughly $10,000 to $20,000 to settle such claims.
Legal implications and guardrails
The proposed statutes lay out factors a court could use to deem litigation "abusive," including the defendant's size, resources and the jurisdiction where cases are filed, and would permit courts to award fees or sanctions in bad-faith cases, according to bill summaries and analysis on GovWatch. Provisions also let the attorney general intervene on behalf of targets of serial filings and include a mechanism to sunset state rules if the U.S. Department of Justice issues formal web-accessibility standards.
What’s next
The measures are headed to Senate committees where lawmakers will weigh the cure period, penalties and other edits before any final vote. Supporters say the bills restore fairness for Main Street, while critics warn rushed changes could blunt civil-rights enforcement, and the debate now shifts to the Senate calendar and hearings tracked by FastDemocracy.
