Bill > AB780

This bill amends California Civil Code Section 55.56 to provide additional protections for small businesses facing construction-related accessibility claims. The bill establishes that for defendants with 50 or fewer employees, a legal proceeding for statutory damages cannot be initiated unless the defendant first receives a detailed letter specifying each alleged accessibility violation and fails to correct those violations within 120 days. If the violations are corrected within that 120-day period, the defendant will not be liable for statutory damages, attorney's fees, or costs. The bill also prevents plaintiffs from circumventing these protections by claiming general discrimination damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act if the underlying claim is based on physical accessibility standard violations. The legislation aims to give businesses a fair opportunity to address accessibility issues before facing legal action, while still maintaining the intent of ensuring equal access for individuals with disabilities. The bill preserves the ability to seek injunctive or equitable relief and does not change existing laws regarding mitigating damages or the fundamental requirement to provide accessible public accommodations.

Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB780