State senators voted yesterday to give businesses more time to fix violations of disability laws before ending up in court.
The proposed bill is a direct result of what some see as as a growth industry among some attorneys. These lawyers file a lawsuit over alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but then agree to drop the suit in exchange for a cash settlement.
Republican Senator Kimberly Yee believes it’s needed to protect Arizona businesses.
“They have had to consider closing their doors because of the literally thousands of dollars they have had to pay out in litigation costs or lawyer fees," Yee said.
The move came over the objections of Democrats like Martin Quezada, who defended the laws.
"The Arizonans with Disabilities Act has been in place for 27 years," Quezada said. "Twenty-seven years that every single small business should have known to this point what they have to do in order to accommodate people with disabilities.”
The lawsuit frenzy caused Attorney General Mark Brnovich to get a state judge to consolidate more than 1,000 of these individuals cases into one as he seeks their dismissal.
The measure still needs a roll-call vote in the Senate before moving on to the House.