CORREA, LAWLER UNVEIL ADA REFORM TO BOOST ACCESS AND PROTECT SMALL BUSINESSES

Text of Legislation (PDF)

WASHINGTON - Today, Representatives Lou Correa (D-CA) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation to ensure ADA violations are quickly rectified to provide renewed access for disabled individuals and protect all parties involved from drawn-out litigation. Specifically, the ADA 30 Days to Comply Act will create a process for disabled individuals to notify business directly about ADA violations, allowing these entities a 30-day remediation window to address the issue or show significant progress if a longer period is needed.

"Maximizing accessibility has always been one of my priorities. This bill ensures that small businesses-family-owned businesses-have the incentive, opportunity, and financial ability to comply with ADA requirements," Correa said. "This legislation is a win-win-it helps mom and pop shops best serve their customers and expands accessibility in our neighborhoods."

"The ADA was created to guarantee access and protect the rights of Americans with disabilities, not to fuel drive-by lawsuits that do nothing to actually fix the problem. Our bill creates a simple, fair process for navigating an ADA violation so that businesses get notified and have 30 days to make it right. That means quicker compliance, better access, and fewer bad-faith lawsuits that punish well-intentioned small businesses," said Lawler.

"AAHOA's nearly 20,000 member hoteliers are deeply committed to accessibility, yet they continue to face a surge in serial drive-by ADA lawsuits that do nothing to improve access. The ADA 30 Days to Comply Act gives businesses a fair chance to fix issues quickly while still protecting the rights of disabled Americans. It's a practical, bipartisan, and sagacious solution that replaces litigation with collaboration-a sound approach that strengthens compliance and stops opportunistic abuse of the system. We appreciate Representatives Lawler and Correa for advancing this truly commonsensical reform," said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake.

"Small businesses are all too often the target of sue and settle schemes. Bad actors know that small business owners can't afford to hire attorneys and fight them in court and will instead settle, even if they did nothing wrong. NFIB applauds Congressman Lawler for introducing this common-sense legislation, which will allow small businesses the opportunity to fix minor issues before being slapped with major lawsuits," said Jeff Brabant, NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations.

"I applaud Reps. Lawler and Correa for introducing this bipartisan legislation that will provide a commonsense solution to ensuring small businesses can comply with ADA rules and avoid unfair and costly litigation. The ADA 30 Days to Comply Act will help protect small businesses AND Americans with disabilities," stated Todd McCracken, president and CEO of the National Small Business Association.

"The construction industry is committed to fostering a business climate that enhances opportunities for all companies and employees. The ADA 30 Days to Comply Act provides the mutually beneficial opportunity for well-intentioned employers to remedy inadvertent oversights before final adjudication and allowing for those oversights to be addressed sooner," said President of Government Relations Alex Echen, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America.

You can read the full text of this legislation HERE.

###