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Legislation is step in the right direction for legal reform
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 10, 2016 – Following Governor Jerry Brown’s signing Senate Bill 269 (Roth) today, NFIB applauds the Governor for signing this important legal reform into law.
“NFIB supported SB 251 last year and immediately supported SB 269 earlier this year. We are grateful Governor Brown signed this legislation today after vetoing its predecessor last year due to tax credits in SB 251. We thank Senator Roth for reintroducing this legislation after that setback and seeing it to completion with the Governor’s signature,” said NFIB/CA State Executive Director Tom Scott. “California’s legal climate remains one of the highest costs of doing business in this state, and SB 269 moves the needle in the right direction. While this bill does not completely fix California’s hostile legal climate, hopefully it helps to move us away from being annually ranked the #1 Judicial Hellhole in the nation by the American Tort Reform Association.”
“The Americans with Disabilities Act was intended to increase compliance and access, not become a source of income for trial lawyers. This bill gives small businesses the opportunity to correct minor violations without a costly shakedown lawsuit,” continued Scott.
SB 269 is listed on our The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly bill list as a “Good” bill since it allows a chance to fix ADA compliance issues before a suit can be filed for small businesses that hired a Certified Access Specialist to inspect their facilities. It also allows all small businesses to correct basic issues like signage and warning strips without penalty.
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For more than 70 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures. NFIB has 350,000 dues-paying members nationally, with over 22,000 in California. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America’s economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. To learn more visit www.NFIB.com/california
