COMMENCEMENT OF ACTION BASED ON WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY CLAIM

A. Prior to filing any civil action or a petition for injunctive relief based on a claim that an organization's website does not conform with applicable law, codes and standards for websites for the visually or hearing impaired, the plaintiff shall notify the defendant in writing of the plaintiff's assertion that its website does not comply with applicable law, codes and standards regulating the functionality of an organization's website to accommodate visually or hearing impaired individuals and the specific violations that the plaintiff asserts. The notice shall be sent by certified mail with return receipt requested at least one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the filing of a petition for injunctive relief.

B. In any civil action or action for injunctive relief based on a claim that an organization's website does not conform with applicable law, codes and standards for the visually or hearing impaired, the plaintiff shall attach to the petition:

1. A copy of the notice required by subsection A of this section; and

2. A copy of the certified mail return receipt signed by the defendant or person authorized to receive service of process for the defendant.

C. If a civil action or action for injunctive relief that is based on a claim that an organization's website does not conform with applicable law, codes and standards for the visually or hearing impaired is filed without the documentation required by subsection B of this section or if the petition is filed less than one hundred twenty (120) days after the date the notice required by subsection A of this section is sent, the court shall, upon motion of the defendant, dismiss the action without prejudice to its refiling.

D. If the defendant corrects the alleged website defect prior to the filing of the petition and the plaintiff files the petition, the court shall dismiss the action and award court costs and reasonable attorney fees to the defendant. In addition, the court shall impose sanctions if the action is determined to be frivolous pursuant to Section 2011 of Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

E. If the defendant has made a reasonable effort to correct the defect but has not completed the correction within one hundred twenty (120) days of notification as directed in subsection A of this section or prior to the filing of the petition, the court may, upon application of the defendant for good cause shown, grant the defendant a reasonable extension of time, based on the nature of the work needed on the website to correct the deficiency. If the correction is completed within that period of time, the court shall dismiss the action.

Added by Laws 2017, c. 92, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2017.