Missouri’s small business advocacy group NFIB is pushing the state legislature to pass Senate Bill 907, a measure designed to shield businesses from what supporters call predatory ADA website lawsuits. On March 19, 2026, NFIB State Director Brad Jones published an op-ed in The Kansas City Star urging the General Assembly to act quickly, with only about 8 weeks left in the legislative session.
The problem centers on trial attorneys sending demand letters to small business owners claiming their websites violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. The letters typically demand settlements between $5,000 and $15,000 to make the threat go away. One Kansas City attorney has filed at least 95 separate lawsuits on behalf of a single plaintiff, targeting restaurants, breweries, dispensaries, and other small businesses across the state.
There are no specific federal guidelines on what makes a website ADA-compliant, which creates a gray area these lawsuits exploit. Businesses in tourist-heavy areas like the Lake of the Ozarks have been paying between $10,000 and $20,000 to settle, according to state Rep. Jeff Vernetti.
SB 907 would let the Attorney General or affected business owners ask a court to determine whether a website accessibility lawsuit is abusive. Courts would weigh factors like the number of similar claims filed, whether the business was given notice and a chance to fix the issue, and prior bad-faith findings against the filer. A companion House bill, HB 1694, already passed the Missouri House 149-0 on February 5, 2026 and has been referred to the Senate’s General Laws Committee.
The House version gives businesses a 90-day cure period to fix accessibility problems in good faith before a lawsuit can move forward. The Senate version provides a 30-day window. Both allow courts to award attorney’s fees and punitive damages when litigation is found to be abusive.
If you run a business in Missouri and receive one of these demand letters, NFIB recommends documenting any accessibility efforts you have made and consulting legal counsel before responding. Do not ignore the letter, but do not rush to settle either.
The bill still needs to pass the full Senate and reach Governor Mike Kehoe’s desk before the session ends in mid-May. A Senate committee hearing on the legislation is scheduled for March 24, 2026.
