KANSAS CITY (March 19, 2026) – In an op-ed for The Kansas City Star, NFIB State Director Brad Jones called on the Missouri General Assembly to put a stop to abusive website-related lawsuits. This comes after small business owners from across the state have received demand letters from predatory trial attorneys, claiming their websites don’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and demanding thousands of dollars in settlements.

NFIB is championing Senate Bill 907, which aims to stop these trial attorneys’ attempts to force a settlement without allowing the small business to resolve the alleged issue.

In the op-ed, Jones wrote:

“In February, the state House of Representatives unanimously passed — 149 to 0 — a bill to give small businesses relief. Later in the month, a key state Senate committee unanimously passed a similar bill. But neither chamber has said whether or when it will take up the other’s measure. After the mid-March legislative break, there will only be eight weeks to get this bill passed and to the governor. The clock is ticking.”

CLICK HERE to read the full op-ed. Excerpts are below:

Abusing Americans with Disabilities Act hurts small Missouri businesses
The Kansas City Star
By: Brad Jones
March 18, 2026

When you run a small business, you have to worry about a lot of things. Making payroll. Finding talented and motivated workers. Keeping your inventory fully stocked. One thing you generally don’t worry about is getting sued by trial lawyers for the colors and fonts on your website. […]

The lawyers say the websites violate the law because their color, font or general design make it harder for people with limited vision or blindness to use. But the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t specifically say what websites have to do. […]

Missouri needs a law that lets owners fix any alleged issues on their own, without being forced to pay far more to a trial lawyer. […]

In February, the state House of Representatives unanimously passed — 149 to 0 — a bill to give small businesses relief. Later in the month, a key state Senate committee unanimously passed a similar bill. But neither chamber has said whether or when it will take up the other’s measure. After the mid-March legislative break, there will only be eight weeks to get this bill passed and to the governor. The clock is ticking.

Small businesses need this to be the legislature’s top priority. All they want is to create jobs and give back to their community. […]

Background:

This week, NFIB released new paid radio advertisements urging the General Assembly to protect small businesses.

Visit ProtectMissouriSmallBusiness.org for more information on the campaign.