AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE for AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

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

Contacted: Justice, Dept of (DOJ); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); SENATE; White House Office; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Government Accountability Office (GAO)

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.

Contacted: White House Office; Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Government Accountability Office (GAO); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); SENATE; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Bills named: H.R. 1063 (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); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); White House Office; SENATE; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ)

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

Copyright/Patent/Trademark CPT

S. 23 (America Invents Act) and H.R. 1249 (Leahy-Smith America Invents 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: Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Government Accountability Office (GAO); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Bills named: S. 23 (112th), H.R. 1249 (112th), H.R. 1056 (112th)

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. 453/ H.R. 873 (Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act); to improve the safety of motorcoaches, and for other purposes. (Competition for Intercity Rail Passenger in America), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 6-30-2011; specific interest in liability implications of Amtrak privitization.

Contacted: White House Office; SENATE; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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

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. S.608 (Maritime Lien Reform Act of 2011); to bar specified federal laws related to maritime liability from establishing maritime liens on state or federal fishing licenses and authorizing civil actions to enforce maritime liens on such licenses. General lobbying with regard to the enforcability of maritime liens on fishing licenses or permits.

Contacted: Government Accountability Office (GAO); SENATE; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); White House Office; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Bills named: S. 608 (112th), S. 183 (112th)

Consumer Issues/Safety/Products CSP

H.R. 1873/S. 987 (Arbitration Fairness Act); to prohibit mandatory binding arbitration in consumer contracts. (Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 06-30-2011; relating to the use of arbitration agreements to resolve disputes involving nursing home care and nursing home contracts. H.R.2219 (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2012); specific interest to the enforcability of mandatory pre-dispute arbitration provisions in the employment contracts of defense contractors. General lobbying on the issue of enforceability of mandatory, pre-disdpute arbitration provisions in employment and consumer contracts. (The Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 06-30-2011; 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: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Government Accountability Office (GAO); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); White House Office

Bills named: H.R. 2219 (112th), H.R. 1873 (112th), S. 987 (112th)

Aviation/Airlines/Airports AVI

H.R. 658 (FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011); 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 provisions relating to immunity and disclosure of safety information. General lobbying relating to disclosure of safety information regarding Freedom of Information Act requests and civil litigation.

Contacted: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); White House Office; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); 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 1517 (Holly Lynn James Act); 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 relator fees and disclosure requirements in whistleblower actions under the False Claims Act. Lobbying with regard to certification of class actions. (Protecting the Expression and Transmission of Ideas and Thoughts in Our Nation Act), draft bill not formally introduced as of 6-30-2011; to establish special motions and procedures to quickly dispose of strategic lawsuits against public participation. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally; not specific to any nominated candidate. Lobbying with regard to US attorney selection generally; and lobbying with specific interest in the nomination of George Beck to the Middle District of Alabama. Lobbying with regard to the rulemaking process as required under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

Contacted: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Government Accountability Office (GAO); SENATE; Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office

Bills named: H.R. 966 (112th), S. 533 (112th), H.R. 592 (112th), S. 623 (112th), H.R. 1517 (112th), H.R. 394 (112th), S. 299 (112th), H.R. 10 (112th)

Homeland Security HOM

S. 968 (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011); specific interest in limitations of liability and preemption of state based causes of action. S. 813 (Cyber Security Public Awareness Act of 2011); specific interest in limitations of liability and preemption of state based causes of action. S. 413 (Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act of 2011); specific interest in limitations of liability and preemption of state based causes of action. (Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Authority and Information Sharing Act), draft legislation not formally introduced as of 06-30-2011; specific interest in limitations of liability and preemption of state based causes of action.

Contacted: White House Office; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); SENATE; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: S. 413 (112th), S. 813 (112th), S. 968 (112th)