Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB213 Latest Draft

Bill / Amended Version Filed 02/26/2025

                             
 
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SENATE FLOOR VERSION 
February 25, 2025 
 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
FOR 
SENATE BILL NO. 213 	By: Howard 
 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to The Governmental Tort Claims Act; 
amending 51 O.S. 2021, Section s 152, as last amended 
by Section 111, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024, and 154 (51 
O.S. Supp. 2024. Section 152) , which relate to 
definitions and extent of liability; modifying 
definitions; increasing limits on liability for 
certain claims; updating statutory language; updating 
statutory reference; and providing an effective date . 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     51 O.S. 2021, Section 152, as last 
amended by Section 111, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (51 O.S. Supp. 
2024, Section 152), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 152. As used in The Governmental Tort Claims Act: 
1.  “Action” means a proceeding in a court of competent 
jurisdiction by which one party brings a suit against another; 
2.  “Agency” means any board, commission, committee, department 
or other instrumentality or entity designated to act in behalf of 
the state or a political subdivision; 
3.  “Charitable health care provider ” means a person who is 
licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the laws of this   
 
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state to administer health care in the or dinary course of business 
or the practice of a profession and who provides care to a medically 
indigent person, as defined in paragraph 9 of this section, with no 
expectation of or acceptance of compensation of any kind; 
4.  “Claim” means any written dema nd presented by a claimant or 
the claimant’s authorized representative in accordance with the 
Governmental Tort Claims Act to recover money from the state or 
political subdivision as compensation for an act or omission of a 
political subdivision or the stat e or an employee; 
5.  “Claimant” means the person or the person ’s authorized 
representative who files notice of a claim in accordance with The 
Governmental Tort Claims Act.  Only the following persons and no 
others may be claimants: 
a. any person holding an interest in real or personal 
property which suffers a loss, provided that the claim 
of the person shall be aggregated with claims of all 
other persons holding an interest in the property and 
the claims of all other persons which are derivative 
of the loss, and that multiple claimants shall be 
considered a single claimant, 
b. the individual actually involved in the accident or 
occurrence who suffers a loss, provided that the 
individual shall aggregate in the claim the losses of 
all other persons which are derivative of the loss, or   
 
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c. in the case of death, an administrator, special 
administrator or a personal representative who shall 
aggregate in the claim all losses of all persons which 
are derivative of the death; 
6.  “Community health care provider ” means: 
a. a health care provider who volunteers services at a 
community health center that has been deemed by the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a 
federally qualified health center as defined by 42 
U.S.C., Section 1396d(l)(2)(B), 
b. a health provider who provides services to an 
organization that has been deemed a federally 
qualified look-alike community health center, and 
c. a health care provider who provides services to a 
community health center that has made application to 
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for 
approval and deeming as a federally qualified look -
alike community health center in compliance with 
federal application guidance, and has received 
comments from the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services as to the status of such application with the 
established intent of resubmitting a modified 
application, or, if denied, a new application, no 
later than six (6) months from the date of the   
 
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official notification from the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services re quiring resubmission of a 
new application; 
7.  “Employee” means any person who is authorized to act in 
behalf of a political subdivision or the state whether that person 
is acting on a permanent or temporary basis, with or without being 
compensated or on a full-time or part-time basis. 
a. Employee also includes: 
(1) all elected or appointed officers, members of 
governing bodies and other persons designated to 
act for an agency or political subdivision, but 
the term does not mean a person or other legal 
entity while acting in the capacity of an 
independent contractor or an employee of an 
independent contractor, 
(2) from September 1, 1991, through June 30, 1996, 
licensed physicians, licensed osteopathic 
physicians and certified nurse -midwives providing 
prenatal, delivery or infant care services to 
State Department of Health clients pursuant to a 
contract entered into with the State Department 
of Health in accordance with paragraph 3 of 
subsection B of Section 1 -106 of Title 63 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes but only insofar as services   
 
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authorized by and in conformity with the terms of 
the contract and the requirements of Section 1 -
233 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and 
(3) any volunteer, full-time or part-time firefighter 
when performing duties for a fire depa rtment 
provided for in subparagraph j of paragraph 11 of 
this section. 
b. For the purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act, 
the following are employees of this state, regardless 
of the place in this state where duties as employees 
are performed: 
(1) physicians acting in an administrative capacity, 
(2) resident physicians and resident interns 
participating in a graduate medical education 
program of the University of Oklahoma Health 
Sciences Center, the College of Osteopathic 
Medicine of Oklahoma State Un iversity, or the 
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse 
Services, 
(3) faculty members and staff of the University of 
Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the College 
of Osteopathic Medicine of Oklahoma State 
University, while engaged in teaching dut ies,   
 
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(4) physicians who practice medicine or act in an 
administrative capacity as an employee of an 
agency of the State of Oklahoma, 
(5) physicians who provide medical care to inmates 
pursuant to a contract with the Department of 
Corrections, 
(6) any person who is licensed to practice medicine 
pursuant to Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes, 
who is under an administrative professional 
services contract with the Oklahoma Health Care 
Authority under the auspices of the Oklahoma 
Health Care Authority Chief Medic al Officer, and 
who is limited to performing administrative 
duties such as professional guidance for medical 
reviews, reimbursement rates, service 
utilization, health care delivery and benefit 
design for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, 
only while acting within the scope of such 
contract, 
(7) licensed medical professionals under contract 
with city, county, or state entities who provide 
medical care to inmates or detainees in the 
custody or control of law enforcement agencies,   
 
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(8) licensed mental health p rofessionals as defined 
in Sections 1-103 and 5-502 of Title 43A of the 
Oklahoma Statutes, who are conducting initial 
examinations of individuals for the purpose of 
determining whether an individual meets the 
criteria for emergency detention as part of a 
contract with the Department of Mental Health and 
Substance Abuse Services, and 
(9) licensed mental health professionals as defined 
in Sections 1-103 and 5-502 of Title 43A of the 
Oklahoma Statutes, who are providing mental 
health or substance abuse treatme nt services 
under a professional services contract with the 
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse 
Services and are providing such treatment 
services at a state-operated facility. 
Physician faculty members and physician staff of the 
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the 
College of Osteopathic Medicine of Oklahoma State 
University not acting in an administrative capacity or 
engaged in teaching duties are not employees or agents 
of the state. 
c. For the purposes of The Governmental To rt Claims Act, 
employee shall include independent contractors and   
 
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employees of independent contractors while actively 
engaged in the transport of individuals in need of 
initial assessment, emergency detention, or protective 
custody as authorized by Sectio n 1-110 of Title 43A of 
the Oklahoma Statutes. 
d. Except as provided in subparagraph b of this 
paragraph, in no event shall the state be held liable 
for the tortious conduct of any physician, resident 
physician or intern while practicing medicine or 
providing medical treatment to patients. 
e. For purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act, 
members of the state military forces on state active 
duty orders or on Title 32 active duty orders are 
employees of this state, regardless of the place, 
within or outside this state, where their duties as 
employees are performed; 
8.  “Loss” means death or injury to the body or rights of a 
person or damage to real or personal property or rights therein; 
9.  “Medically indigent” means a person requiring medically 
necessary hospital or other health care services for the person or 
the dependents of the person who has no public or private third -
party coverage, and whose personal resources are insufficient to 
provide for needed health care;   
 
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10.  “Municipality” means any incorporated city or town, and all 
institutions, agencies or instrumentalities of a municipality; 
11.  “Political subdivision ” means: 
a. a municipality, 
b. a school district, including, but not limited to, a 
technology center school district established pursuant 
to Section 4410, 4411, 4420 or 4420.1 of Title 70 of 
the Oklahoma Statutes, or a public library as defined 
pursuant to Section 1 -104 of Title 65 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
c. a county, 
d. a public trust where the sole beneficiary or 
beneficiaries are a city , town, school district or 
county.  For purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims 
Act, a public trust shall include: 
(1) a municipal hospital created pursuant to Sections 
30-101 through 30-109 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, a county hospital created p ursuant to 
Sections 781 through 796 of Title 19 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes, or is created pursuant to a 
joint agreement between such governing 
authorities, that is operated for the public 
benefit by a public trust created pursuant to 
Sections 176 through 18 0.4 of Title 60 of the   
 
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Oklahoma Statutes and managed by a governing 
board appointed or elected by the municipality, 
county, or both, who exercises control of the 
hospital, subject to the approval of the 
governing body of the municipality, county, or 
both, 
(2) a public trust created pursuant to Sections 176 
through 180.4 of Title 60 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes after January 1, 2009, the primary 
purpose of which is to own, manage, or operate a 
public acute care hospital in this state that 
serves as a teaching ho spital for a medical 
residency program provided by a college of 
osteopathic medicine and provides care to 
indigent persons, and 
(3) a corporation in which all of the capital stock 
is owned, or a limited liability company in which 
all of the member interest is owned, by a public 
trust, 
e. for the purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act 
only, a housing authority created pursuant to the 
provisions of the Oklahoma Housing Authorities Act, 
f. for the purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act 
only, corporations organized not for profit pursuant   
 
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to the provisions of the Oklahoma General Corporation 
Act for the primary purpose of developing and 
providing rural water supply and sewage disposal 
facilities to serve rural residents, 
g. for the purposes of The Gov ernmental Tort Claims Act 
only, districts formed pursuant to the Rural Water, 
Sewer, Gas and Solid Waste Management Districts Act, 
h. for the purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act 
only, master conservancy districts formed pursuant to 
the Conservancy Act of Oklahoma, 
i. for the purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act 
only, a fire protection district created pursuant to 
the provisions of Section 901.1 et seq. of Title 19 of 
the Oklahoma Statutes, 
j. for the purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act 
only, a benevolent or charitable corporate volunteer 
or full-time fire department for an unincorporated 
area created pursuant to the provisions of Section 592 
et seq. of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes, 
k. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Clai ms Act only, 
an Emergency Services Provider rendering services 
within the boundaries of a Supplemental Emergency 
Services District pursuant to an existing contract 
between the Emergency Services Provider and the State   
 
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Department of Health.  Provided, howeve r, that the 
acquisition of commercial liability insurance covering 
the activities of such Emergency Services Provider 
performed within this state shall not operate as a 
waiver of any of the limitations, immunities or 
defenses provided for political subdiv isions pursuant 
to the terms of The Governmental Tort Claims Act, 
l. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
a conservation district created pursuant to the 
provisions of the Conservation District Act, 
m. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act, 
districts formed pursuant to the Oklahoma Irrigation 
District Act, 
n. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
any community action agency established pursuant to 
Sections 5035 through 5040 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
o. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
any organization that is designated as a youth 
services agency, pursuant to Section 2 -7-306 of Title 
10A of the Oklahoma Statutes, 
p. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
any judge presiding over a drug court, as defined by 
Section 471.1 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes,   
 
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q. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
any child-placing agency licensed by this state to 
place children in foster family homes, 
r. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
a circuit engineering district created pursuant to 
Section 687.1 of Title 69 of the Oklahoma Statutes, 
s. for purposes of the Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
a substate planning district, regional council of 
government or other entity created pursuant to Section 
1001 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and 
t. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
a regional transportation authority created pursuant 
to Section 1370.7 of Title 68 of t he Oklahoma Statutes 
including its contract operator and any railroad 
operating in interstate commerce that sells a property 
interest or provides services to a regional 
transportation authority or allows the authority to 
use the property or tracks of the ra ilroad for the 
provision of public passenger rail service to the 
extent claims against the contract operator or 
railroad arise out of or are related to or in 
connection with such property interest, services or 
operation of the public passenger rail servic e.  
Provided, the acquisition of commercial liability   
 
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insurance to cover the activities of the regional 
transportation authority, contract operator or 
railroad shall not operate as a waiver of any 
liabilities, immunities or defenses provided pursuant 
to the provisions of the Governmental Tort Claims Act, 
and 
u. for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, 
a not-for-profit corporation in which all of the 
membership interest is owned by a public trust created 
pursuant to Sections 176 through 180.4 o f Title 60 of 
the Oklahoma Statutes, and pursuant to Section 3201 et 
seq. of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, 
and all their institutions, instrumentalities or agencies; 
12.  “Scope of employment” means performance by an employee 
acting in good faith withi n the duties of the employee ’s office or 
employment or of tasks lawfully assigned by a competent authority 
including the operation or use of an agency vehicle or equipment 
with actual or implied consent of the supervisor of the employee, 
but shall not include corruption or fraud; 
13.  “State” means the State of Oklahoma or any office, 
department, agency, authority, commission, board, institution, 
hospital, college, university, public trust created pursuant to 
Title 60 of the Oklahoma Statutes of which the S tate of Oklahoma is 
the beneficiary, or other instrumentality thereof;   
 
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14.  “State active duty” shall be defined in accordance with 
Section 801 of Title 44 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
15.  “State military forces ” shall be defined in accordance with 
Section 801 of Title 44 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
16.  “Title 32 active duty ” shall be defined in accordance with 
Section 801 of Title 44 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and 
17.  “Tort” means a legal wrong, independent of contract, 
involving violation of a duty imposed b y general law, statute, the 
Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, or otherwise, resulting in a 
loss to any person, association or corporation as the proximate 
result of an act or omission of a political subdivision or the state 
or an employee acting with in the scope of employment; provided, 
however, a tort shall not include a claim for inverse condemnation. 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     51 O.S. 2021, Section 154, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 154.  A.  The total liability of the state and its 
political subdivisions on claims within the scope of The 
Governmental Tort Claims Act, arising out of an accident or 
occurrence happening after October 1, 1985, Section 151 et seq. of 
this title, shall not exceed: 
1.  Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) Seventy-five 
Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) for any claim or to any claimant who 
has more than one claim for loss of property arising out of a single 
act, accident, or occurrence;   
 
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2. a. Eighty-five Thousand Dollars ($85,000.00) to any 
claimant for any number of claims for inconvenience, 
annoyance, or discomfort in nuisance claims arising 
out of a single act, accident, or occurrence in a 
county with a population of less than one hundred 
fifty thousand (150,000) according to the latest 
Federal Decennial Census, or 
b. One Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($140,000.00) to 
any claimant for any number of claims for 
inconvenience, annoyance, or discomfort in nuisance 
claims arising out of a single act, accident, or 
occurrence in a county with a popul ation of one 
hundred fifty thousand (150,000) or more according to 
the latest Federal Decennial Census; 
3. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, One Hundred 
Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($125,000.00) Two Hundred Fifty 
Thousand Dollars ($250,000 .00) to any claimant for a claim for any 
other loss arising out of a single act, accident, or occurrence.  
The limit of liability for the state or any city or county with a 
population of three hundred thousand (300,000) one hundred fifty 
thousand (150,000) or more according to the latest Federal Decennial 
Census, or a political subdivision as defined in subparagraph s of 
paragraph 11 of Section 152 of this title, shall not exceed One 
Hundred Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($175,000.00) Three Hundred   
 
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Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($375,000.00) .  Except however, the 
limits of the liability for the University Hospitals and State 
Mental Health Hospitals state mental health hospitals operated by 
the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for 
claims arising from medical negligence shall be Two Hundred Thousand 
Dollars ($200,000.00) Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) .  
For claims arising from medical negligence by any licensed 
physician, osteopathic physician or certified nurse -midwife 
rendering prenatal, delivery or infant care services from September 
1, 1991, through June 30, 1996, pursuant to a contract authorized by 
subsection B C of Section 1-106 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes 
and in conformity with the requirements of Section 1 -233 of Title 63 
of the Oklahoma Statutes, the limits of the liability shall be Two 
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00); or 
3. 4. One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) for any number of 
claims for indemnification pursuant to Section 162 of this title 
arising out of a single occurrence or accident ; or 
5.  Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) in the aggregate for any 
number of claims arising out of a single occurrence or accident . 
B.  1.  Beginning on May 28, 2003, claims shall be allowed for 
wrongful criminal felony conviction resulting in imprisonment if the 
claimant has received a full pardon on the basis of a written 
finding by the Governor of actual innocence for the crime for which 
the claimant was sentenced or has been granted judicial relief   
 
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absolving the claimant of guilt on the basis of actual innocence of 
the crime for which the claimant was sentenced.  The Governor or the 
court shall specifically state, in the pardon or order, the evidence 
or basis on which the finding of actual innocence is based. 
2.  As used in paragraph 1 of this subsection, for a claimant to 
recover based on “actual innocence”, the individual must meet the 
following criteria: 
a. the individual was charged, by indictment or 
information, with the commission of a public offense 
classified as a felony, 
b. the individual did not plead guilty to the offense 
charged, or to any lesser included offense, but was 
convicted of the offense, 
c. the individual was sentenced to incarceration for a 
term of imprisonment as a result of the conviction , 
d. the individual was imprisoned solely on the basis of 
the conviction for the offense, and 
e. (1) in the case of a pardon, a determination was made 
by either the Pardon and Parole Board or the 
Governor that the offense for which the 
individual was convicted, sentenced and 
imprisoned, including any lesser offenses, was 
not committed by the individual, or   
 
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(2) in the case of judicial relief, a court of 
competent jurisdiction found by clear and 
convincing evidence that the offense for which 
the individual was convicted, sentenced and 
imprisoned, including any lesser included 
offenses, was not committed by the individual and 
issued an order vacating, dismissing or reversing 
the conviction and sentence and providing that no 
further proceedings can be or will b e held 
against the individual on any facts and 
circumstances alleged in the proceedings which 
had resulted in the conviction. 
3.  A claimant shall not be entitled to compensation for any 
part of a sentence in prison during which the claimant was also 
serving a concurrent sentence for a crime not covered by this 
subsection. 
4.  The total liability of the state and its political 
subdivisions on any claim within the scope of The Governmental Tort 
Claims Act arising out of wrongful criminal felony conviction 
resulting in imprisonment shall not exceed One Hundred Seventy -five 
Thousand Dollars ($175,000.00). 
5.  The provisions of this subsection shall apply to convictions 
occurring on or before May 28, 2003, as well as convictions 
occurring after May 28, 2003.  If a court of competent jurisdiction   
 
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finds that retroactive application of this subsection is 
unconstitutional, the prospective application of this subsection 
shall remain valid. 
C.  No award for damages in an action or any claim against the 
state or a political subdivision shall include punitive or exemplary 
damages. 
D.  When the amount awarded to or settled upon multiple 
claimants exceeds the limitations of this section, any party may 
apply to the district court which has jurisdiction of the cause to 
apportion to each claimant the claimant ’s proper share of the total 
amount as limited herein.  The share apportioned to each claimant 
shall be in the proportion that the ratio of the award or settlement 
made to him each claimant bears to the aggregate awards and 
settlements for all claims against the state or its political 
subdivisions arising out of the occurrence.  When the amount of the 
aggregate losses presented by a single claimant exceeds the limits 
of paragraph 1, or 2, or 3 of subsection A of this section, each 
person suffering a loss shall be entitled to that person ’s 
proportionate share. 
E.  The total liability of resident physicians and interns while 
participating in a graduate medical education program of the 
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, its affiliated 
institutions and the Oklahoma State University College of 
Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery shall not exceed One Hundred   
 
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Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars 
($150,000.00). 
F.  The total liability of a public trus t hospital and physician 
for the acts of a physician who provides medical services on the 
premises of a public trust hospital as defined pursuant to Section 
152 of this title, that is located in a county with a population of 
less than seventy-five thousand (75,000) according to the latest 
Federal Decennial Census, but who is not employed by such hospital, 
shall not exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00).  If the 
physician is employed by another group or entity not under the sole 
or majority control of t he physician, the total limit of liability 
of the physician and hospital shall be the higher coverage afforded 
by the liability policy or self -insurance or assets of that group or 
entity. 
G. The state or a political subdivision may petition the court 
that all parties and actions arising out of a single accident or 
occurrence shall be joined as provided by law, and upon order of the 
court the proceedings upon good cause shown shall be continued for a 
reasonable time or until such joinder has been completed.  The state 
or political subdivision shall be allowed to interplead in any 
action which may impose on it any duty or liability pursuant to The 
Governmental Tort Claims Act. 
G. H. The liability of the state or political subdivision under 
The Governmental Tort Claims Act shall be several from that of any   
 
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other person or entity, and the state or political subdivision shall 
only be liable for that percentage of total damages that corresponds 
to its percentage of total negligence.  Nothing in this section 
shall be construed as increasing the liability limits imposed on the 
state or political subdivision under The Governmental Tort Claims 
Act. 
SECTION 3.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAR Y 
February 25, 2025 - DO PASS AS AMENDED BY CS