HR 1939

2	House Resolution
3	A resolution urging the United States Congress to reform
4	the current class action lawsuit process in order to
5	ensure fair legal process for class members with
6	legitimate claims and to protect responsible companies and
7	other institutions against frivolous interstate class
8	actions in state courts.
9
10	WHEREAS, over the past decade, there have been abuses of
11	the class action device that harmed class members with
12	legitimate claims and defendants that have acted responsibly,
13	adversely affected interstate commerce, and undermined public
14	respect for the judicial system in the United States, and
15	WHEREAS, class members have been harmed by a number of
16	actions taken by plaintiffs' lawyers, which provide little or no
17	benefit to class members as a whole, including plaintiffs'
18	lawyers receiving large fees, while class members are left with
19	coupons or other awards of little or no value, and unjustified
20	rewards being made to certain plaintiffs at the expense of other
21	class members, and
22	WHEREAS, abusive interstate class actions have harmed
23	society as a whole by forcing innocent parties to settle cases
24	rather than risk a huge judgment by a local jury, thereby
25	costing consumers billions of dollars in increased costs to pay
26	for forced settlements and excessive judgments, and
27	WHEREAS, through the use of artful pleading, plaintiffs are
28	able to avoid litigating class actions in federal court, forcing
29	businesses and other organizations to defend interstate class
30	action lawsuits in county and state courts where the lawyers,
31	rather than the claimants, are likely to receive the maximum
32	benefit, NOW, THEREFORE,
33
34	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
35	Florida:
36
37	That the House of Representatives of the State of Florida
38	requests that our Representatives and Senators in the United
39	States Congress join other members of Congress in passing class
40	action reform legislation that ensures fair and prompt
41	recoveries for class members with legitimate claims, protects
42	responsible companies and other institutions against interstate
43	class actions in state courts, and restores the intent of the
44	framers of the United States Constitution by providing for
45	federal court consideration of interstate class actions.
46	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be
47	transmitted to the members of the Congressional Delegation of
48	the State of Florida.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.