Lawsuit Reform (Tort Reform) Bill Passes House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Lisa Liebl
Capitol: (405) 962-7674
 
OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, and
Rep. Dan Sullivan, R-Tulsa, comment on HB 2128, approved today by the House of Representatives. The lawsuit reform would include a cap of $350,000 for noneconomic damages in all civil actions and repeals the inactive indemnity fund.
 
House Speaker Kris Steele:
“Lawsuit reform is not only relevant for job creation, it is also necessary to protect access to quality healthcare. Defensive medicine contributes to skyrocketing healthcare costs. The high price of medical care coupled with a shortage of healthcare professionals leads to limited access and poor health indicators.
 “This legislation could reduce the burden on businesses while encouraging job growth across the state. A state’s legal climate impacts business decisions. House Bill 2128 opens the window of opportunity to focus on reaching our state’s economic potential.”
 
Rep. Dan Sullivan:
“For far too long, Oklahoma has faced the negative outcome of frivolous and unnecessary lawsuits. In order for Oklahoma to compete for jobs and see improvement in our economy we must pass meaningful lawsuit reform legislation immediately. We can't afford companies fleeing Oklahoma and taking jobs as they exit. With the passage of HB2128, we improve far more than just our business environment. We improve health care by keeping doctors here and bringing more health care professionals to Oklahoma. The passage of this legislation also helps us take another step forward in our goal to improve education and our overall quality of life as result of less lawsuits that hurt our state.”
 
NEXT STEP:
House Bill 2128 will now proceed to the Senate for consideration.