Online Accessibility Act
Latest action: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (2026-06-30)
View the official record →In plain English
What this bill does
This bill would amend the Americans with Disabilities Act to add a new Title VI covering consumer-facing websites and mobile apps owned or operated by private businesses. It would require these sites and apps to be accessible to people with disabilities, using the WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA technical standards (or provide an equivalent alternative way to access the content). It directs federal agencies to write detailed rules and sets up a specific complaint, investigation, and enforcement process.
Who it affects
It would most affect businesses that operate commercial websites or mobile apps and people with disabilities who use them, with special rulemaking flexibility directed toward small businesses.
Key points
- Sets WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA as the compliance standard, or requires an equivalent alternative means of access.
- Directs the Access Board to define key terms and issue regulations on a set timeline, and the DOJ to create a complaint process.
- Requires people to notify the business and exhaust administrative remedies before suing, giving the business 60 days to fix problems.
- Allows the Attorney General to bring civil actions and seek penalties up to $20,000 for a first violation and $50,000 for later ones, but bars punitive damages.
- Creates a private right of action as the sole remedy, and allows the AG to certify qualifying state or local accessibility laws.
Plain-English summary generated by AI from the official record. Neutral by design; verify against the official text linked above.
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1 · Your position
If you support this
You are backing a federal requirement that private commercial websites and apps meet specific accessibility standards for people with disabilities, enforced through a defined complaint process, government lawsuits with capped penalties, and a limited private right to sue.
If you oppose this
You are backing keeping website and app accessibility outside this new explicit ADA framework, leaving current law, court interpretations, and existing enforcement unchanged without these specific standards, penalty caps, and lawsuit procedures.
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