MissouriEstablishes the "Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation" which establishes provisions relating to litigation alleging certain disability access violations
What it does
This act creates the "Act Against Abusive Website or Web Content Access Litigation". The Attorney General on behalf of a class of residents of this state, the state, or a political subdivision that is subject to litigation that alleges any website or web content access violation, or any resident of this state, the state, or a political subdivision of this state that is subject to litigation that alleges any website or web content access violation, may file a civil action against the party, attorney, or law firm that initiated such litigation for a determination as to whether such litigation alleging a website or web content access violation is abusive litigation. In determining whether a civil action alleging a website or web content access claim is considered abusive, the court shall consider the totality of the circumstances to find whether the primary purpose of the litigation was to obtain payment from a defendant due to the costs of defending the action in court.
More detail
The act describes the factors to be considered in making this determination.
A defendant who receives notice of an alleged website or web content access violation and in good faith takes substantial steps to correct the violation within 90 days shall have a rebuttable presumption that any subsequent claim for a website or web content access violation is abusive. There shall not be a presumption if the alleged violation is not corrected within 90 days after written notice or service of the petition.
Additionally, nothing in this act shall prevent a defendant from filing a motion to dismiss or from notifying the plaintiff, prior to the end of the 90-day period, that the alleged access violation has been corrected in good faith.
The Attorney General may intervene or bring an action on behalf of Missouri residents that are targets of abusive website or web content access litigation. The Attorney General may also issue guidance as to when litigation practices are deemed abusive, but such guidance shall not preclude legitimate accessibility enforcement actions.
The court may award attorney's fees and costs to the party defending against the abusive litigation. The court may also award punitive damages or sanctions not to exceed three times the amount of attorney's fees awarded by the court.
If the U.S. Department of Justice issues standards concerning website or web content accessibility under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the provisions of this act shall expire with respect to any entity that has registered as a corporation with the Secretary of State's office, and the state and any political subdivision thereof.
This act shall apply to litigation pending on August 28, 2026, and the 90-day correction period shall apply to any defendant in any pending litigation on August 28, 2026, that has complied with the requirements of this act prior to or within 90 days after such date.
This act is similar to SB 1471 (2026), HCS/HBs 1694, 1674, 1780, 2056, 2312 & 1755 (2026), and HCS/HBs 1842 & 2150 (2026). KATIE O'BRIEN
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 7Letter of approval from the GovernorLatest
- May 6Signed by Governor Mike KehoeBecame Law
- Apr 23Reported Duly Enrolled Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions & Ethics CommitteeTo Governor
- Apr 23Signed by Senate President Pro Tem
- Apr 23Signed by House Speaker
- Apr 23Delivered to Governor
- Apr 21S concurs in HCS, as amended
- Apr 21S Third Read and PassedMajor
- Apr 21Truly Agreed To and Finally PassedMajor
- Apr 16HA 1 to HCS H offered & adopted (Seitz)--(5627H09.03H)
- Apr 16HA 2 to HCS H offered & adopted (Seitz)--(5627H09.02H)
- Apr 16HCS, as amended, H adopted --(5627H.09C)
- Apr 16H Third Read and PassedMajor
- Apr 14HCS Reported Do Pass H Consent and ProcedureMinor
- Apr 13HCS Voted Do Pass H Consent and ProcedureMinor
- Apr 8HCS Voted Do Pass H Commerce - ConsentMinor
- Apr 8HCS Reported Do Pass H Commerce - ConsentMinor
- Apr 8Referred H Consent and ProcedureMinor
- Apr 1Hearing Conducted H Commerce
- Mar 26H Second ReadMinor
- Mar 26Referred H CommerceMinor
- Mar 25S Third Read and PassedPassed House
- Mar 25H First ReadMinor
- Mar 24SS for SCS S offered (Hudson)--(5627S.07F)
- Mar 24SA 1 to SS for SCS S offered & adopted (Gregory-15)--(5627S07.03S)
- Mar 24SA 2 to SS for SCS S offered & defeated (Webber)--(5627S07.01S)
- Mar 24SS for SCS, as amended, S adoptedPassed Senate
- Mar 24Perfected
- Mar 24Reported Truly Perfected S Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee
- Mar 9Reported from S General Laws Committee w/SCS
- Feb 25SCS Voted Do Pass w/SCS SBs 907, 1154 & 1272 General Laws Committee (5627S.05C)Minor
- Feb 4Hearing Conducted S General Laws Committee
- Jan 8Second Read and Referred S General Laws CommitteeMinor
- Jan 7S First ReadMinor
- 2025
- Dec 1PrefiledIntroduced