Bill > AB2190

This bill, an act to add Part 2.54 to Division 1 of the Civil Code, aims to address internet website accessibility by establishing new provisions and defenses related to the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). It introduces an affirmative defense for entities facing claims of statutory damages due to specific accessibility barriers on their websites, provided they demonstrate efforts to disclose and remediate these barriers through a published digital accessibility report on an "accessibility page" or by showing good faith efforts in testing and remediation. The bill also prohibits "resource service providers" (entities that construct or maintain online resources for others) from negligently, recklessly, or knowingly creating inaccessible websites or making false claims about accessibility, and allows small businesses and public attorneys to sue for violations. Importantly, it defines terms like "accessibility," "accessible," "conformant," "digital accessibility report," and "internet website accessibility standard," which will generally align with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA before 2027 and WCAG 2.2 Level AA thereafter, with federal law taking precedence if it offers greater accessibility. The bill also outlines specific requirements for entities to maintain an accessibility page, provide contact information for users to report barriers, and remediate reported issues within a specified timeframe to qualify for the affirmative defense.

Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2190