(a) For purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Construction-related accessibility claim” means any civil claim in a civil action with respect to a place of public accommodation, including, but not limited to, a claim brought under Section 51, 54, 54.1, or 55, based wholly or in part on an alleged violation of any construction-related accessibility standard, as defined in paragraph (6).

(2) “Application for stay and early evaluation conference” means an application to be filed with the court that meets the requirements of subdivision (c) of Section 55.54.

(3) “Certified access specialist” or “CASp” means any person who has been certified pursuant to § 4459.5 of the Government Code.

(4) “Meets applicable standards” means the site was inspected by a CASp and determined to meet all applicable construction-related accessibility standards pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 55.53. A site that is “CASp inspected” on or before the effective date of the amendments made to this section by Senate Bill 1186 of the 2011-12 Regular Session of the Legislature means that the site “meets applicable standards.”

(5) “Inspected by a CASp” means the site was inspected by a CASp and is pending a determination by the CASp that the site meets applicable construction-related accessibility standards pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 55.53. A site that is “CASp determination pending” on or before the effective date of the amendments made to this section by Senate Bill 1186 of the 2011-12 Regular Session of the Legislature means that the site was “inspected by a CASp.”

(6) “Construction-related accessibility standard” means a provision, standard, or regulation under state or federal law requiring compliance with standards for making new construction and existing facilities accessible to persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to, any provision, standard, or regulation set forth in Section 51, 54, 54.1, or 55 of this code, § 19955.5 of the Health and Safety Code, the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336; 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.), and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (Appendix A to Part 36 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations).

(7) “Place of public accommodation” has the same meaning as “public accommodation,” as set forth in Section 12181(7) of Title 42 of the United States Code and the federal regulations adopted pursuant to that section.

(8) “Qualified defendant” means a defendant in an action that includes a construction-related accessibility claim that is asserted against a place of public accommodation that met the requirements of “meets applicable standards” or “inspected by a CASp” prior to the date the defendant was served with the summons and complaint in that action. To be a qualified defendant, the defendant is not required to have been the party who hired any CASp, so long as the basis of the alleged liability of the defendant is a construction-related accessibility claim. To determine whether a defendant is a qualified defendant, the court need not make a finding that the place of public accommodation complies with all applicable construction-related accessibility standards as a matter of law. The court need only determine that the place of public accommodation has a status of “meets applicable standards” or “inspected by a CASp.”

(9) “Site” means a place of public accommodation.

(b) Unless otherwise indicated, terms used in this part relating to civil procedure have the same meanings that those terms have in the Code of Civil Procedure.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 383, Sec. 7. (SB 1186) Effective September 19, 2012. Section may become inoperative under conditions prescribed by Stats. 2008, Ch. 549, Sec. 12, subd. (b).)