FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Harris
Sept. 17, 2015 (512) 773-7168
Legislation by Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21) would implement meaningful lawsuit reforms at federal level
AUSTIN –Today, Congress is expected to debate and vote on H.R. 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) by Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21).
Ahead of the vote, Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse (TALA) is urging voters to contact their Member of Congress to support LARA.
LARA would implement common sense lawsuit reforms at the federal level that have proven successful in state legislatures across the country, including in Texas. H.R. 758 would:
• Impose mandatory sanctions on trial lawyers who file abusive lawsuits in federal courts.
• Ensure that sanctions imposed on trial lawyers are monetary and include attorney’s fees and other costs that a victim of an abusive lawsuit incurs.
• Restore fairness and integrity to the federal court system.
“LARA takes a meaningful, successful model of reform from states across our country, including Texas, and brings that same consistency and clarity to our nation’s courts,” said TALA spokeswoman Jennifer Harris. “We applaud Rep. Smith for his work to bring the Texas model of lawsuit reform to the Capitol.”
LARA was passed by the House of Representatives in 2013 but failed in the United States Senate. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is co-sponsoring LARA companion legislation in the Senate.
TALA works with Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) groups throughout the state. Launched in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley in 1990, the CALA movement has spread across the country. In the Lone Star State alone, more than 25,000 Texans support CALA chapters in East Texas, Houston, Central Texas, Corpus Christi, and the Rio Grande Valley.
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