U.S. Senate Passes Class Action Legislation
U.S. House Expected to Move Quickly
Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 2005 — The U.S. Senate has passed the Class Action Fairness Act, S. 5, by a vote of 72-26.
The measure calls for moving many class-action lawsuits from state courts to federal courts when the amount in dispute exceeds $5 million and when the defendant and the plaintiff live in different states.
Senate supporters of the legislation were able to defeat all of the amendments that were proposed. U.S. Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., said, "My overriding concern is we not begin to pick apart this carefully balanced compromise." Carper is a longtime supporter of the bill.
No major changes are expected from the U.S. House of Representatives when they receive the bill. Leaders have said they intend to move it through quickly.
"The Automotive Service Association (ASA) supports class-action legislation and we are pleased with the Senate's passage of the first piece of the president's tort reform agenda," said Bob Redding, ASA's Washington, D.C., representative.
He added, "ASA asked members to contact their U.S. senators to ask for their support of this legislation and when the bill goes to the U.S. House of Representatives, we will continue the grassroots campaign."
The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind serving an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from all segments of the automotive service industry. ASA's headquarters is in Bedford, Texas.
ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.asashop.org, or visit ASA's legislative Web site at www.TakingTheHill.com.
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