HCSHB179--FEESANDEXPENSESRELATEDTOCIVILACTIONS
SPONSOR: Parker
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonJudiciarybyavoteof9to0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
179.
Thisbillrepealsfromthedefinitionof"reasonablefeesand
expenses",asitrelatestocivilactionsoragencyproceedings,
theprohibitiononattorneysbeingawardedmorethan$75perhour
unlessthecourtdeterminesthataspecialfactorjustifiesa
higherfee.
ThebillalsorepealsthesunsetontheBasicCivilLegalServices
Fund.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthebillsetsattorneys'feesat
$75anhourforproceedings,andtheamounthasnotbeenchanged
since1989.Thisistocorrectaproblem. Licensedprofessionals
havetohireanattorneytodefendtheirlicenseand,becausethe
attorneys'feesaresetatsuchalowrate,theselicensed
professionalsarenotfindingattorneyswillingtotakethese
cases.Theywanttoensurethatattorneysarecompensatedfairly.
Licenseesshouldbeabletopicktheirownattorneysandthiscap
limitstheirchoice.Thisisalegislativepriorityforthe
MissouriBar.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Parker;Andy
Briscoe,TheMissouriBar.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaytheythinkthiswaslast
raisedin1983andtheyexpressedconcernaboutpotentialfiscal
impact.
TestifyinginpersononthebillwasArnieDienoff. Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.