[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 30 (Thursday, February 15, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ADA IMPROVEMENTS

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, the Americans with Disabilities Act has 
played an important role in improving accessibility for many years.
  Unfortunately, it is often taken advantage of by dishonest attorneys 
who file drive-by lawsuits against small businesses in order to get a 
quick payday. This entails coercing a business owner into paying 
expensive settlements or legal fees for unintended or technical 
violations and vague interpretations of the ADA. This practice has 
risen dramatically. From just 2013 to 2017, ADA lawsuits in Federal 
courts have increased by 182 percent, and it goes beyond that for many 
years previously as well.
  This practice violates the spirit of the law and hurts small 
businesses without really improving access. One example, a small 
business, a minimarket in my district, went through a renovation. They 
put in a nice ramp there on the front of their business, a concrete 
structure that had been inspected, and they were working with the 
county all along. Then, when they were done, someone came and said: 
This is 1 degree off on incline.

  How is a small business supposed to deal with issues like that when 
the regulators themselves can't even keep track of what they are 
supposed to be doing? This only benefits corrupt attorneys. That is why 
I support the ADA Education and Reform Act which will end this shady 
practice and give property owners a reasonable chance to fix potential 
issues.

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