As I shared with you on Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary I Committee continued its hearing today on the NC Commerce Protection Act (Senate Bill 648), sponsored by Sen. Brent Jackson. I testified in support of this legislation, as it includes fair and balanced measures to protect employers from frivolous and fraudulent claims. Senate Bill 648: NC Commerce Protection Act makes important, balanced changes to North Carolina’s civil liability system to provide fairness and predictability and encourage job creation.

The Senate Judiciary I Committee is now expected to vote on SB648 on Tuesday, May 27. Click here to ask for their support on the NC Commerce Protection Act of 2014.

Pro-Business Reform – SB648 Overview

• Creates Greater Accountability in Private Attorney Contracting by Attorney General:Transparency in Private Attorney Contracting (TIPAC) would ensure that should the state award contingency fee contracts that they are awarded openly and transparently and that the state would receive maximum practicable amount of any settlement or award.
• Creates Transparency in Claims against Asbestos and Silica Trusts: Greater transparency in claims against asbestos and silica trusts would ensure the reliability of claims and prevent litigation fraud and abuse by requiring asbestos and silica claims to be supported by credible, qualified physicians who have had a doctor-patient relationship with the exposed person, while preserving assets needed to compensate deserving claimants.
• Improves Product Liability Protections: Enacting stronger product liability protections would send a message to industry that North Carolina understands the importance of the jobs created by these companies. This would prevent disproportionate penalties from being imposed upon companies, which ultimately encourages future investment and job creation.
• Strengthens Patent Protection: Strong protection against abusive patent assertion claims provides North Carolina a strong advantage in attracting small businesses and technology start-ups. This measure protects North Carolina businesses from abusive and bad-faith assertions of patent infringement and promotes efficient resolution of these claims.

How can you take action? Elected officials are undoubtedly hearing from those opposing this legislation and they need to hear support from job creators across the state. We need you to reach out and remind this committee how important it is to address these costly concerns in our civil liability system. Take action now to urge the Senate Judiciary I Committee to support the NC Commerce Protection Act by emailing them at our Legislative Action Center!

Gary J. Salamido
Vice President, Government Affairs
North Carolina Chamber