Internet website accessibility.

Healthcare Small Business

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Wallis
Last action: 2026-04-23
Official status: Read second time and amended.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on fines or damages involved.

Internet Website Accessibility

This law adds rules under the Unruh Civil Rights Act to make sure websites are accessible for people with disabilities and provides a defense for businesses if they fix accessibility issues within 30 days of being notified.

What This Bill Does

Adds provisions to the Unruh Civil Rights Act requiring entities to ensure their internet websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Provides an affirmative defense for entities against claims seeking statutory damages based on specific accessibility barriers if they publish a digital accessibility report and remediate issues within 30 days of receiving written notice.
Prohibits resource service providers from negligently, recklessly, or knowingly constructing, licensing, distributing, or maintaining parts of websites that cause inaccessibility for people with disabilities.

Who It Names or Affects

Businesses and entities with internet websites
Resource service providers who manage website components
Individuals with disabilities using these websites

Terms To Know

Affirmative defense: A legal strategy that allows an entity to avoid liability if they can prove certain conditions were met, such as fixing accessibility issues within a specified timeframe.
Digital accessibility report: A document published on the website detailing specific access barriers and remediation efforts.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when it will become enforceable.
It is unclear which types of businesses are specifically covered by this legislation.

Bill History

2026-04-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 21).
2026-04-13 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-04-09 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 7).
2026-03-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and P. & C.P.
2026-02-20 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
2026-02-19 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2190, as amended, Wallis.
Internet website accessibility.
The Unruh Civil Rights Act requires persons within the jurisdiction of the state to be free and equal and, regardless of the person’s sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status, to be entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments, as prescribed, and makes a violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) a violation of the act.
Existing law imposes liability upon a person who denies, aids, or incites a denial of, or makes any discrimination or distinction contrary to, rights afforded by law for actual damages suffered, exemplary damages, a civil penalty, and attorney’s fees, as specified, to
any person who was denied the specified rights. Existing law also imposes liability upon a person, firm, or corporation that denies or interferes with admittance to, or enjoyment of, public facilities or otherwise interferes with the rights of an individual with a disability, as specified, for damages and attorney’s fees to a person who was denied those rights.
This bill would grant to an entity an affirmative defense to a claim seeking statutory damages under the provisions described above on the basis of a specific accessibility barrier on the entity’s internet website, as defined, if the entity provided evidence to the plaintiff demonstrating within 30 days of receiving a written prelawsuit demand from the plaintiff that either (1) the entity published a digital accessibility report on the accessibility page of its internet website disclosing the specific access barrier and updated that report to reflect remediation of the access barrier or (2) that various
things were true regarding the entity’s efforts to identify and remediate access barriers on its internet website, including the entity had a reasonable and good faith basis to believe that the internet website was accessible and conformed with the internet website accessibility standard, as specified.
This bill would also prohibit a resource service provider from, in exchange for money or any other form of remuneration, negligently, recklessly, or knowingly constructing, licensing, distributing, or maintaining for online use a resource or part of an internet website that causes an entity’s internet website to be inaccessible or not conformant with the internet
website
accessibility standard if the resource or part of the internet website is within the control of the resource service provider to remediate or from making a false representation that a resource
or part of an internet website is accessible or conforms to the internet
website
accessibility standard. The bill would authorize a small business entity, as defined, and certain public attorneys, including the Attorney General, to bring a civil action to enforce that provision, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF