Alabama 2024 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB104 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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	1	+	SB104ENGROSSED
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3	3		SB104
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	4	+	8X7YHFF-2
5	5		By Senator Carnley
6	6		RFD: Judiciary
7	7		First Read: 15-Feb-24
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12		-	5 SB104 ~~Enrolled~~
	12	+	5 SB104 Engrossed
13	13		Page 1
14	14		First Read: 15-Feb-24
15		-	Enrolled, An Act,
	15	+	A BILL
	16	+	TO BE ENTITLED
	17	+	AN ACT
16	18		Relating to asbestos actions; to amend Sections
17	19		6-5-691, 6-5-692, and 6-5-693, Code of Alabama 1975, to
18	20		further provide for various requirements for asbestos actions;
19	21		and to authorize a defendant in an asbestos action to be
20	22		dismissed if certain requirements are not met.
21	23		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
22	24		Section 1. Sections 6-5-691, 6-5-692, and 6-5-693, Code
23	25		of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
24	26		"§6-5-691
25	27		For the purposes of this article, the following terms
26	28		shall have the following meanings:
27	29		(1) ASBESTOS ACTION. A civil action arising out of,
28	30		based on, or related to the health effects of exposure to
29	31		asbestos and any derivative claim made by or on behalf of a
30	32		person exposed to asbestos or a representative, spouse,
31	33		parent, child, or other relative of that person. The term
32	34		asbestos action does not include claims alleging ovarian
33	35		cancer.
34	36		(2) ASBESTOS TRUST. A government-approved or
35	37		court-approved trust, qualified settlement fund, compensation
36		-	fund, or claims facility that is created as a result of an
37		-	administrative or legal action, a court-approved bankruptcy,
38		-	pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 524(g), 11 U.S.C. § 1121(a), or other
39		-	applicable provision of law, that is intended, in whole or in
40		-	part, to provide compensation to claimants arising out of,
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	65	+	28 SB104 Engrossed
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	67	+	court-approved trust, qualified settlement fund, compensation
	68	+	fund, or claims facility that is created as a result of an
	69	+	administrative or legal action, a court-approved bankruptcy,
	70	+	pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 524(g), 11 U.S.C. § 1121(a), or other
	71	+	applicable provision of law, that is intended, in whole or in
70	72		part, to provide compensation to claimants arising out of,
71	73		based on, or related to the health effects of exposure to
72	74		asbestos.
73	75		(3) EXPOSED PERSON. A person whose exposure to asbestos
74	76		or to asbestos-containing products is the basis for an
75	77		asbestos action.
76	78		(3)(4) TRUST CLAIM MATERIALS. A final executed proof of
77	79		claim and all documents and information submitted to or
78	80		received from an asbestos trust, including claim forms and
79	81		supplementary materials, affidavits, medical and health
80	82		records, depositions and trial testimony of the plaintiff and
81	83		others knowledgeable about the plaintiff's exposure history,
82	84		work history, exposure allegations, and all documents that
83	85		reflect the status of a claim against an asbestos trust and if
84	86		the trust claim has been resolved.
85	87		(4)(5) TRUST GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS. All documents that
86	88		relate to eligibility and payment levels, including claims
87	89		payment matrices, trust distribution procedures, or plans for
88	90		reorganization, for an asbestos trust."
89	91		"§6-5-692
90	92		(a) Subject to Section 6-5-693, within 90 days after a A
91	93		plaintiff who files an asbestos action, the plaintiff within
92	94		45 days, shall do all of the following: provide
93	95		(1) Provide all parties with an affidavit, signed under
94		-	oathinformation form attested by the plaintiff, specifying the
95		-	basis for each claim against each defendant and stating all of
96		-	the following with specificity :
97		-	a.(1) The plaintiff's exposed person's name, address,
98		-	date of birth, Social Security number, marital status, smoking
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	125	+	(1) Provide all parties with an affidavit, signed under
	126	+	oathinformation form attested by the plaintiff, specifying the
	127	+	basis for each claim against each defendant and stating all of
	128	+	the following with specificity :
	129	+	a.(1) The plaintiff's exposed person's name, address,
128	130		date of birth, Social Security number, marital status, smoking
129	131		history, occupation, and current and past worksites and
130	132		employers, and if the plaintiff exposed person alleges
131	133		exposure to asbestos through another person, the identity of
132	134		the other person , and that person's relationship to the
133	135		plaintiffexposed person.
134	136		b.(2) The asbestos-related disease claimed to exist.
135	137		c.(3)TheAn affirmation that the plaintiff and
136	138		plaintiff'shis or her counsel have conducted an investigation
137	139		into all potential sources of the plaintiff'sexposed person's
138	140		exposure to asbestos and identified.
139	141		(4) The identity, with specificity , of each and every
140	142		source of exposure to asbestos that is available or known to
141	143		the plaintiff or plaintiff'shis or her counsel for the exposed
142	144		person and any person through which the plaintiff alleges
143	145		exposure, including all asbestos-containing products to which
144	146		the plaintiffexposed person or other person was exposed,
145	147		whether from bankrupt entities or otherwise, and all premises
146	148		at which the plaintiff and the other exposed person werewas
147	149		exposed to asbestos ; the.
148	150		(5) The specific location and manner of each alleged
149	151		exposure to asbestos ; the.
150	152		(6) The beginning and ending dates of each alleged
151	153		exposure; and the.
152		-	(7) The specific connection of each defendant to the
153		-	alleged exposure to asbestos.
154		-	(8) The name, address, and relationship to the exposed
155		-	person of each individual who is knowledgeable regarding the
156		-	exposed person's exposures to asbestos.
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	183	+	exposure; and the.
	184	+	(7) The specific connection of each defendant to the
	185	+	alleged exposure to asbestos.
	186	+	(8) The name, address, and relationship to the exposed
	187	+	person of each individual who is knowledgeable regarding the
186	188		exposed person's exposures to asbestos.
187	189		(2)(9)Provide all parties with all All supporting
188	190		documentation relating to this the information required by
189	191		this section.
190	192		(b) If a defendant that is specifically identified in
191	193		the plaintiff's attestation as a source of exposure presents
192	194		evidence that the plaintiff's affidavit attestation is
193	195		incomplete, the defendant may move the court for an order to
194	196		require the plaintiff to supplement the affidavitattestation.
195	197		If the court determines that there is a sufficient basis for
196	198		the plaintiff to supplement the affidavitattestation, the
197	199		court shall enter an order to require the plaintiff to
198	200		supplement the affidavitattestation and shall stay the action
199	201		until the plaintiff supplements the affidavitattestation as
200	202		provided by the court and produces the supplemental
201	203		affidavitattestation to the parties.
202	204		(c) The court shall dismiss the plaintiff's claim
203	205		without prejudice if the plaintiff fails to provide the
204	206		information required in this section or fails to satisfy an
205	207		order to supplement the plaintiff's affidavitattestation
206	208		within 90 days from the time the information is required to be
207	209		provided to the parties.
208	210		(d) A defendant whose product or premises is not
209	211		specifically identified in the plaintiff's attestation may
210		-	file a motion with the court to dismiss the plaintiff's claim
211		-	against that defendant without prejudice. "
212		-	"§6-5-693
213		-	(a) A plaintiff in an asbestos action need not comply
214		-	with Section 6-5-692 if, within 90 Within 60 days after the
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	241	+	specifically identified in the plaintiff's attestation may
	242	+	file a motion with the court to dismiss the plaintiff's claim
	243	+	against that defendant without prejudice. "
	244	+	"§6-5-693
	245	+	(a) A plaintiff in an asbestos action need not comply
244	246		with Section 6-5-692 if, within 90 Within 60 days after the
245	247		plaintiff files an asbestos action, the plaintiff files shall
246	248		file all available asbestos trust claims and provides provide
247	249		the parties with all trust claim materials available to the
248	250		plaintiff or plaintiff's his or her counsel in relation to the
249	251		plaintiff's exposed person's exposure to asbestos. This
250	252		section does not apply if the plaintiff complies with Section
251	253		6-5-692.
252	254		(b) A plaintiff has a continuing duty to supplement the
253	255		information and materials provided under subsection (a) within
254	256		30 days after the plaintiff supplements an asbestos trust
255	257		claim, receives additional information or materials related to
256	258		an asbestos trust claim, or files an additional trust claim.
257	259		(c) Not less than 60 days before trial, if a defendant
258	260		presents evidence that the plaintiff has not filed all
259	261		available asbestos trust claims, as required under subsection
260	262		(a), the defendant may move the court for an order to require
261	263		the plaintiff to file additional trust claims. If a defendant
262	264		has previously filed a motion under this section, the court
263	265		shall not grant a subsequent motion if the defendant knew that
264	266		the claimant met the criteria for payment for the additional
265	267		trust claim identified in the subsequent motion at the time
266	268		the earlier motion was filed.
267	269		(d) Trial in an asbestos action may not begin until at
268		-	least 60 days after the plaintiff complies with this section."
269		-	Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
270		-	1, 2024.
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	299	+	(d) Trial in an asbestos action may not begin until at
	300	+	least 60 days after the plaintiff complies with this section."
	301	+	Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
298	302		1, 2024.
299		-	________________________________________________
300		-	President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
301		-	________________________________________________
302		-	Speaker of the House of Representatives
303		-	SB104
304		-	Senate 04-Apr-24
305		-	I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
306		-	the Senate, as amended.
	303	+	141
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	305	+	143 SB104 Engrossed
	306	+	Page 7
	307	+	1, 2024.
	308	+	Senate
	309	+	Read for the first time and referred
	310	+	to the Senate committee on Judiciary
	311	+	................15-Feb-24
	312	+	Read for the second time and placed
	313	+	on the calendar:
	314	+	0 amendments
	315	+	................21-Mar-24
	316	+	Read for the third time and passed
	317	+	as amended
	318	+	Yeas 32
	319	+	Nays 0
	320	+	Abstains 0
	321	+	................04-Apr-24
307	322		Patrick Harris,
308	323		Secretary.
309		-	House of Representatives
310		-	Passed: 25-Apr-24
311		-	By: Senator Carnley
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