Gdla Action Fund Inc

IN 2021, GEORGIA DEFENSE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (GDLA), THE STATE'S CIVIL DEFENSE BAR, CREATED A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (KNOWN AS THE "GDLA ACTION FUND, INC.") TO GIVE GDLA AND ITS MEMBERS A VOICE AT THE GEORGIA CAPITOL. THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF SEVERAL GDLA MEMBER LAW FIRMS, WE HIRED A KADE CULLEFER OF TROUTMAN PEPPER STRATEGIES TO LEAD OUR EFFORTS DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THIS MARKED OUR THIRD YEAR OF WORK DURING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE, KADE MONITORED A COMBINED 20 HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS DURING THE SESSION. BELOW IS A REVIEW OF KEY BILLS WE WATCHED. WE'RE PROUDEST OF HOUSE BILL 543, SINCE IT WAS A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN GDLA AND OUR COUNTERPARTS ON THE PLAINTIFF'S SIDE, GEORGIA TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (GTLA). THE RESULTING NEW LEGISLATION THAT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR KEMP RAISES THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGES AT ISSUE FOR A CASE TO QUALIFY FOR A TWELVE-PERSON JURY FROM 25,000 TO 50,000. FOR CASES WITH LESS THAN 50,000 IN DAMAGES AT ISSUE, THE JURY WILL CONSIST OF ONLY SIX PEOPLE. THE ORIGINAL LEGISLATION, WHICH PASSED THE HOUSE, WOULD HAVE RAISED THE AMOUNT TO 100,000, BUT THE SENATE AMENDED IT TO 50,000, WHICH REMAINED IN THE FINAL BILL. THE LEGISLATION WAS CARRIED BY THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE REP. MATT REEVES. ANOTHER BILL, HB 530, ADDRESSED THE APEX DOCTRINE AND CRITERIA REQUIRED TO SECURE THE DEPOSITION OF CERTAIN HIGH RANKING PUBLIC AND CORPORATE EMPLOYEES. IT ALSO DESIGNATES A PROCESS FOR SERVICE WHEN CLAIMS ARE FILED AGAINST THE STATE. WHILE IT PASSED THE HOUSE, IT DID NOT RECEIVE A VOTE IN THE SENATE. WE ALSO WATCHED HOUSE BILL 470, THE CANDOR ACT, WHICH PROVIDES FOR AN OPEN DISCUSSION BETWEEN A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND A PATIENT WHEN AN INJURY OCCURS DURING A MEDICAL PROCEDURE. A PROVISION CONTAINED IN THE LEGISLATION WOULD PERMIT THE OPEN DISCUSSION TO BE ADMISSIBLE IN COURT IF COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET. THIS LEGISLATION PASSED THE HOUSE. IT PASSED THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WITH THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND GDLA ACTION FUND, INC.'S PRESIDENT JAKE DALY TESTIFIED AGAINST IT DURING THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING. IT DID NOT PASS AS IT WAS NEVER CALLED FOR A VOTE AT THE SENATE. SENATE BILL 74 WOULD PERMIT A CLASS ACTION TO BE BROUGHT UNDER STATE LAW AGAINST THOSE WHO MISREPRESENT THEMSELVES BY ADVERTISING THEIR LEGAL SERVICES WHEN IT IS NOT THE TRUE NATURE OF THEIR BUSINESS OR WHO ADVERTISE LEGAL SERVICES BUT ARE NOT BARRED IN THIS STATE. THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE APEX DOCTRINE WAS ADDED TO THIS LEGISLATION (ORIGINALLY LANGUAGE FROM HB 530) AND ULTIMATELY PASSED BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE WITH APEX LANGUAGE INCLUDED. IT WAS AWAITING SIGNATURE BY GOV. KEMP. A FINAL BILL OF INTEREST, SENATE BILL 168, WOULD ALLOW A CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE TO FILE A LIEN ON A CAUSE OF ACTION IN THE SAME WAY A HOSPITAL IS ABLE TO FILE A LIEN UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. ADDITIONALLY, AN AMENDMENT WAS QUIETLY ADDED TO REQUIRE SUBMISSION OF BILLS TO HEALTH INSURERS BEFORE ANY MEDICAL LIEN CAN BE FILED. IT PASSED WITH THE AMENDMENT AND WAS AWAITING SIGNATURE BY GOV. KEMP.