Texas Senate Committee Approves Legislation to Curb Lawsuit Abuse Rawf8/Getty Images
The Texas Senate Transportation Committee has unanimously approved a House bill that would help curb the growing trend of lawsuit abuse targeting commercial vehicles in Texas.
Texas HB19, passed by the state House on April 30, will now be forwarded to the full Senate for a vote likely later this month.
The legislation has earned widespread support from the trucking industry and small businesses across the state, according to testimony before the Senate transportation committee on May 12.
Republican Sen. Larry Taylor, who introduced the Senate version of the bill, told the committee that the state’s 65,000 trucking companies are essential to the state’s economy.
Phantom Damages Addressed in New Montana Law
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed into law legislation that deals with inflated bill amounts. (Drew Angerer/Bloomberg News
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed a bill that revises civil liability laws relating to damages in lawsuits.
Specifically, the legislation deals with inflated bill amounts, which are known as phantom damages. American Trucking Associations cheered the legislative action, identifying the bill as an important piece of legislation in the ongoing effort to curb lawsuit abuse. ATA President Chris Spear has made reforming the industry’s litigation environment a priority.
“We applaud Montana’s leadership and look forward to more states following their lead,” said ATA spokesman Sean McNally. “Finding tools to increase transparency will curb inflated medical damages, which is an important part of addressing this critical issue.”
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a lower court’s preliminary injunction that blocked the immediate implementation of California’s Assembly Bill 5 law, which motor carriers have claimed would make use of independent contractors next to impossible.
Secretary Pete Buttigieg Unveils New Alternative Fuel Corridor Designations
DOT chief Pete Buttigieg, speaking at Union Station in Washington, acknowledged that the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. (C-SPAN via YouTube)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a new round of Alternative Fuel Corridor designations as part of the Biden administration’s push to advance electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The Federal Highway Administration’s Alternative Fuel Corridors program recognizes highway segments that have infrastructure (or plans for infrastructure) that support alternative fuel options. The program charts sources of various alternative fuels, including electricity, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and hydrogen.