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04.11.11 Update on HB132> On the 12^th legislative day, a substitute for  House Bill 132 was passed, which reduces the statute of repose period from thirteen years to seven (7) years (national average).

We need to thank the House Bill Sponsor, Rep. Greg Canfield, for getting HB132 in the House’s hopper, and voting on it so quickly.

The Senate companion bill (SB59) will be up for debate and should be addressed when the Senate meets again for the 13^th legislative day on Tuesday, April 12^th, at 3:00 pm.

On another note, the Certificate of Merit bill (SB297) has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Slade Blackwell (SB297) and assigned to the Judiciary Committee.

03.28.11 HB132*Statute of Repose Bill* After days of negotiation between the Industry Partners Coalition and the Alabama Association for Justice (aka, Trail Lawyers), a compromise was struck, which will change the statute of repose/limitations from the current time of 13 years/2 years to 7 years/2 years.   This change is very important in that it brings Alabama’s limitations in line with the average timeframe of other states.  The Senate companion bill is SB59.

HB132 is due on the House floor at any time, so please contact your Representative today and tell him/her to vote in FAVOR of this bill!

Can’t remember who your Legislator is?  CLICK HERE then enter your zip code in the appropriate field in the lefthand toolbar.

SB52 passed the Alabama Senate (30-0), and will likely be considered soon in the House. This bill prohibits no-bid contracts, and apparently would supersede requirements to use the qualification-based-selection (QBS) process to procure professional services. Now, phone calls, faxes and emails to your legislator may make a difference in his/her vote.

Use this link below to find your representative’s contact information:

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/zipsearch.html

The ALISON (AL Legislative Information System Online) link below allows one to research a proposed bill and its history. Under the “Regular Session 2010” column on the left of the home page, click on “Bills” on the “Session” tab to view a drop-down menu, then click on “Status” to search for a bill. Type in the bill number (e.g., “SB52”) in the box, click on “Get Status,” then when the Bill Status page appears, click on the box listing the bill number under the “Instrument” column to activate the various tabs at the top of the page for that bill (e.g., clicking on “View” tab brings up an engrossed copy of Bill SB52 as passed by the Senate on 2-4-10; clicking on “History” tab gives details on its legislative history to date). Here is the link:

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/acaslogin.asp

Here is what was said about SB52’s passage in the Senate (read the comments too):

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/02/alabama_senate_passes_ban_on_m.html