JEFFERSON CITY (Feb. 5, 2026) – In a vote of 149-0, the House of Representatives unanimously advanced HB 1649, which will provide much-needed relief from lawsuit abuse for Main Street Missourians. In a statement, NFIB State Director Brad Jones thanked lawmakers for standing up for small businesses and urged the Senate to swiftly support the reforms and send them to the Governor’s desk for signature.

“A damaging, abusive legal trend has found its way to Missouri, where predatory trial attorneys weaponize the transformative work of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against small business owners to make a quick buck,” Jones said. “These are mom and pop shops who operate on infamously thin margins, which makes it difficult to afford attorneys and compliance officers. When a demand letter shows up, these small business owners will often settle as quickly as possible to avoid mounting costs. On behalf of our members and small business owners across the state, we thank the House for advancing these commonsense safeguards for Main Street and ask the Senate to follow suit quickly.”

Ahead of the General Assembly’s 2026 session, state members of NFIB indicated their strong opposition to regulations of websites to ensure compliance with the ADA, in NFIB’s annual survey.