Bill > HB1755

This bill establishes the "Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation" which creates a legal framework to address and potentially prevent what the state considers to be frivolous lawsuits related to website accessibility for people with disabilities. The bill allows the Attorney General or any Missouri resident to file a civil action against parties initiating website access violation litigation to determine if such litigation is abusive. When evaluating whether a lawsuit is abusive, courts will consider multiple factors, including the plaintiff's history of similar lawsuits, the defendant's resources to correct alleged violations, settlement discussions, and whether the lawsuit appears primarily aimed at extracting payment rather than addressing genuine accessibility issues. If a defendant attempts to correct an alleged website access violation within 30 days of being notified, there is a presumption that continued litigation might be abusive. The bill provides potential consequences for parties found to be initiating abusive litigation, including the possibility of paying the defendant's attorney's fees, costs, and punitive damages. The law will automatically expire if the federal Department of Justice issues official standards for website accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This legislation appears designed to discourage what the state views as opportunistic disability access litigation while still maintaining a path for legitimate accessibility complaints.

Justice

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1755&year=2026&code=R