AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE for AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE

Marine/Maritime/Boating/Fisheries MAR

S. 183 (Deepwater Horizon Survivors' Fairness Act); to clarify the applicability of certain maritime laws with respect to the blowout and explosion of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon.

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: S. 183 (112th)

Copyright/Patent/Trademark CPT

S. 23 (Patent Reform Act); specific interest in provisions relating to venue for patent cases and false markings. H.R. 1056 (Patent Continuing Disclosure Act); to amend federal patent law with respect to false markings.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE

Bills named: S. 23 (112th), H.R. 1056 (112th)

Health Issues HCR

H.R. 1063 (Strengthening Medicare And Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2011); to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the application of Medicare secondary payer rules for certain claims. Lobbying with regard to the efficiency of compensating patients suffering vaccine-related injuries under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Lobbying with regard to Medicare set-asides for claimant related medical expenses. Lobbying with regard to an HHS-issued rule limiting discovery from nursing home-related state survey agencies.

Contacted: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE; Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Bills named: H.R. 1063 (112th)

Consumer Issues/Safety/Products CSP

(Arbitration Fairness Act), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 03-31-2011; to prohibit mandatory binding arbitration in consumer contracts. (Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 03-31-2011; relating to the use of arbitration agreements to resolve disputes involving nursing home care and nursing home contracts. Lobbying with regard to the enforcability of mandatory pre-dispute arbitration provisions in defense contracts. (The Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 03-31-2011; to require foreign manufacturers of products imported into the United States to establish registered agents in the United States who are authorized to accept service of process against such manufacturers, and for other purposes. Lobbying with regard to the preemption of state causes-of-action involving drug manufacturers. Lobbying with regard to corporate accountability for exposure to asbestos and other toxic substances; and with regard to asbestos bankruptcy trusts.

Contacted: Government Accountability Office (GAO); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); White House Office

Transportation TRA

H.R. 304 (no short title); to amend the limitation on liability for certain passenger rail accidents or incidents under section 28103 of title 49, United States Code, and for other purposes. S. 695 (Commercial Driver Compliance Improvement Act); to require the use of electronic on-board recording devices in motor carriers to improve compliance with hours of service regulations. S. 453/ H.R. 873 (Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act); to improve the safety of motorcoaches, and for other purposes.

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Government Accountability Office (GAO); SENATE; White House Office; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: H.R. 304 (112th), H.R. 873 (112th), S. 453 (112th), S. 695 (112th)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Lobbying with regard to the deduction of attorney-advanced expenses and court costs in contigency fee cases.

Contacted: White House Office; SENATE; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Government Accountability Office (GAO); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Aviation/Airlines/Airports AVI

H.R. 658 (FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011), specific interest in House Amdt. 210, manager's amendment, specific interest in provisions relating to immunity and disclosure of safety information. S. 223 (FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act), specific interest in Senate Amdt. 6 , to provide liability protection to volunteer pilot nonprofit organizations that fly for public benefit and to the pilots and staff of such nonprofit organizations, and for other purposes, and Senate Amdt. 50, to amend title 1 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include nonprofit and volunteer ground and air ambulance crew members and first responders for certain benefits, and to clarify the liability protection for volunteer pilots that fly for public benefit.

Contacted: SENATE; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); White House Office; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Bills named: H.R. 658 (112th), S. 223 (112th)

Government Issues GOV

S. 623/H.R. 592 (Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2011); relating to the use of protective orders, sealing of cases, and disclosure of discovery information in federal civil cases. H.R. 966/S. 533 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2011); to amend Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to the restoration of notice pleading in Federal courts. H.R. 394 (Federal Courts Jurisdiction and Venue Clarification Act); to clarify the jurisdiction of the Federal courts, and for other purposes. S. 299/ H.R. 10 (Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2011); to provide that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. H.R. 1 (Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act); specific interest in House Amdt. 85 to defund the Equal Access to Justice program, and House Amdt.159 to defund the the Consumer Product Safety Commission Product Safety Database. H.R. 887(no short title); to direct the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report on Indian land fractionation, and for other purposes, specific interest in the modification of attorney's fees. (Holly Lynn James Act), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 03-31-2011; specific interest in the legal remedies available to active duty and retired military personnel who are victims of sexual assault and harrassment. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally; not specific to any nominated candidate. Lobbying with regard to US attorney selection generally; not specific to any nominated candidate.

Contacted: SENATE; Government Accountability Office (GAO); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); White House Office; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: S. 299 (112th), H.R. 1 (112th), H.R. 966 (112th), S. 623 (112th), H.R. 10 (112th), H.R. 887 (112th), H.R. 394 (112th), S. 533 (112th), H.R. 592 (112th)

Torts TOR

S. 218/H.R. 5 (Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare Act of 2011); to set conditions for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims regarding health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce. Lobbying with regard to medical malpractice reform proposals generally.

Contacted: Government Accountability Office (GAO); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: H.R. 5 (112th), S. 218 (112th)