Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, has reintroduced the ACCESS Act, H.R. 241, which will provide needed balance to enforcement of disability access lawsuits.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law by George H.W. Bush, is a noble civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
To effectuate this objective, the ADA requires accessibility measures at any place of public accommodation. Business owners face the risk of litigation over violations of this requirement.
President Bush acknowledged worries the ADA would result in perpetual litigation upon signing the law, saying, “I know there may have been concerns that the ADA may be too vague or too costly, or may lead endlessly to litigation. But I want to reassure you right now that my administration and the United States Congress have carefully crafted this act.” However, contrary to the president’s reassurances, the ADA has in fact been commonly misused by professional plaintiffs who invoke the law in search of lucrative payouts over the most trivial and fixable of violations.
The Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform has documented several instances of such abuses.
“In Alameda, California an entire…
