Ken Calvert: “The goal of the American with Disabilities Act is to provide access for the disabled. That goal must be pursued and…”

“The goal of the American with Disabilities Act is to provide access for the disabled. That goal must be pursued and protected. It is important to distinguish, however, that the ADA is not intended to feed drive-by lawsuits and put good people out of business. Unfortunately, my State of California has become ground zero for abusive ADA lawsuits. I have heard from many small businesses in my congressional district that have fallen victim to abusive ADA lawsuits that are not aimed at improving access to the disabled. In fact, California accounts for roughly 40 percent of ADA lawsuits nationwide, despite being home to just 12 percent of the country's disabled population. Protecting small businesses from abusive lawsuits and ensuring disabled Americans have adequate access are not mutually exclusive goals. That is why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 620 and believe its passage is critical to both the disabled and to our small businesses. By giving businessowners adequate time to make appropriate changes to provide access, we are returning to the original spirit and intent of the ADA. I thank my friend from Texas, Representative Poe, for his leadership on this issue, as well as the bipartisan group of cosponsors for their support. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill and ensure that serial litigants are no longer rewarded for taking advantage of an important and meaningful law.”