Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, was a busy man last month. Not only did he sign 33 different bills into law during the month of June, but he made sure that one of those laws would allow “victims of terrorism to recover legal fees and damages.” The particular law is known as HB 65, and will provide “a civil remedy for terrorism, providing at least $1,000 in damages and covering attorney fees to those who are victims.” The author of the bill was first-term Rep. Jason Fischer, a Republican from Jacksonville.
Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, was a busy man last month. Not only did he sign 33 different bills into law during the month of June, but he made sure that one of those laws would allow “victims of terrorism to recover legal fees and damages.” The particular law is known as HB 65, and will provide “a civil remedy for terrorism, providing at least $1,000 in damages and covering attorney fees to those who are victims.” The author of the bill was first-term Rep. Jason Fischer, a Republican from Jacksonville.
While the bill offers a great deal to victims of terrorism, it ensures that “those who commit acts of terror are given no recourse under the law.” According to the law, “the defendant is entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees and court costs in the trial and appellate courts upon a finding that the claimant raised a claim that was without support in fact or law.”
The governor’s new bill is explained in greater detail in the House of Representatives summary of the bill:
“There is no cause of action in common law or current statutory law that is specific to terrorism. There are, however, causes of action for related acts. Common law allows a victim to sue, for example, for battery or intentional infliction of emotional distress; and statutory law allows an action for wrongful death. In most tort actions, an injured person may recover damages, but not attorney’s fees.”
In addition to the bill summary, representatives claim “the statute of limitations for this law stands at four years for a common-law tort action and two years for a wrongful death.” As for how the bill will impact the state’s budget, well, so far it is not expected to “have any fiscal impact on local or state governments.”
As it stands right now, the new bill is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
In addition to HB 65, Scott also “signed two bills that created a trust fund within the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity with money recovered from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.” In a statement he said:
“I’m proud to sign this legislation today which immediately makes $300 million available to benefit communities in the Panhandle and help ensure their continued economic growth. In 2010, our beautiful beaches were devastated by the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While the surrounding communities have worked hard to recover, this funding will allow them to make critical local investments and continue our efforts to market the state.”
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