Missouri has taken a decisive step to protect local businesses from predatory legal practices with the passage of Senate Bill 1272, also known as the Act Against Abusive and Predatory Website Access Litigation.
Over the last couple of years, many small-to-medium-sized businesses in Missouri have fallen prey to "drive-by" digital lawsuits. In these cases, predatory out-of-state entities exploit minor accessibility flaws on a company's website not to improve access for disabled individuals, but to force quick, lucrative cash settlements.
SB1272 shifts the power back to honest business owners. Under this new law, if a court finds that the primary purpose of a website accessibility lawsuit was simply to extract a monetary settlement rather than genuinely improve digital access, the litigation can be deemed "abusive."
Crucially, the bill introduces a 90-day safe harbor provision. If a business receives notice of an alleged website accessibility violation and takes good-faith, substantial steps to correct it within 90 days, a "rebuttable presumption" is created that any continued litigation is abusive.
While SB1272 shields you from extortion, it is not an excuse to ignore digital accessibility. To leverage the 90-day safe harbor defense effectively, and to ensure you are reaching all customers, your website must align with modern standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Ensuring proper alt-text, keyboard navigation, and screen-reader compatibility shields your company from legitimate claims while expanding your market.
Don't wait for a legal notice to arrive. Update your website today to remain compliant, accessible, and fully protected under Missouri law.
