A bill touted to help Arizonans with disabilities has passed the state House and Senate and is now ready for the Governor’s signature.  

But, the blue ink showing the bill’s proposed changes to the state statute actually does very little on behalf of Arizona citizens with disabilities, and a great deal for business owners.

If signed, Senate Bill 1406 would give Arizona businesses at least 30 days to fix a problem before someone could file a lawsuit – longer if building permits are required.

Democrat and Senate Minority Leader Katie Hobbs called the bill a violation of basic civil rights.  She compared the idea of asking people with disabilities to wait, to living in the South during Jim Crow days.

"If somebody tried to walk into a restaurant who is black, and that restaurant said, 'Oh, I'm sorry, we're not serving blacks, that is a lawsuit right there.," Hobbs said.

But, Republican Sen. Karen Fann reminded floor members of a string of frivolous lawsuits attached to one law firm that demanded cash from businesses for infractions.

"This is actually doing what the law is intending to do," Fann said. "And that is, let's fix the problem. Identify the problem and fix it."

Hobbs reminded Fann, and others in support of the bill, those lawsuits were already dismissed by Attorney General Mark Brnovich.  With that, she said, granting businesses an extension is unnecessary.