Senate Bill 84 aimed to require law firms to notify business owners of accessibility issues before suing, allowing 120 days for compliance. Despite bipartisan support and a 34-2 Senate vote, the bill failed to be scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly, effectively dying without a vote for this year. Small businesses, particularly in the Peninsula, have faced numerous lawsuits from firms specializing in ADA violations, often settling for an average of $10,000 to avoid lengthy trials. The failure to advance SB84 has raised concerns among small business advocates about the process.
SB84 would require law firms to send warning letters to business owners before suing and give them 120 days to fix accessibility issues before filing anything in court.
Hundreds of small businesses on the Peninsula have been caught off guard by law firms like Potter Handy that specialize in ADA lawsuits.
Tim Taylor, policy director for the National Federation of Independent Business, said Senate Bill 84 made common sense and had bipartisan support, evidenced by a 34-2 vote in the state Senate.
Potter Handy targeted downtown Palo Alto restaurants that had ADA violations in their outdoor dining setups in 2021.
Collection
[
|
...
]