2002 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 598 – Civil actions, false info, penalty

HOUSE BILL NO. 598

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Daily Data Tracking History



H0598................................by JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION
CIVIL ACTIONS - FALSE INFORMATION - Adds to existing law relating to civil
actions to provide a cause of action against persons or entities that
produce false or misleading information, either during sworn testimony or
to a fact-finder or governmental entity, that results in injury to a
person.
                                                                        
02/08    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/11    Rpt prt - to Jud
02/28    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/01    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/04    3rd rdg - PASSED - 56-9-5
      AYES -- Aikele, Barraclough, Barrett, Bedke, Bell, Black, Block,
      Bolz, Bradford, Bruneel, Campbell, Collins, Cuddy, Deal, Denney,
      Ellis, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(20), Gagner, Hadley, Hammond,
      Harwood, Higgins, Hornbeck, Jones, Kellogg(Duncan), Kunz, Lake,
      Langford, Loertscher, Mader, McKague, Meyer, Montgomery, Mortensen,
      Moyle, Pearce, Pischner, Pomeroy, Raybould, Ridinger, Roberts, Sali,
      Schaefer, Sellman, Shepherd, Smylie, Stevenson, Stone, Tilman, Trail,
      Wheeler, Wood, Young, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- Bieter, Boe, Clark, Henbest, Jaquet, Kendell, Martinez,
      Robison, Smith(33)
      Absent and excused -- Callister, Crow, Field(13), Gould, Smith(23)
    Floor Sponsors - Sali & Harwood
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/05    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Jud
03/11    Rpt out - to 14th Ord
    Rpt out w/o amens - ret'd to Jud

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2002
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 598
                                                                        
                      BY JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO PARTIES TO ACTIONS; AMENDING CHAPTER 3, TITLE 5,  IDAHO  CODE,  BY
  3        THE  ADDITION  OF  A  NEW SECTION 5-340, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE A CAUSE OF
  4        ACTION FOR THE RECOVERY OF DAMAGES AGAINST PERSONS OR ENTITIES  THAT  PRO-
  5        DUCE  FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION, EITHER DURING SWORN TESTIMONY OR TO
  6        A FACT-FINDER OR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, THAT RESULTS IN INJURY TO A  PERSON;
  7        AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
                                                                        
  8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  9        SECTION  1.  That  Chapter  3,  Title  5,  Idaho Code, be, and the same is
 10    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
 11    ignated as Section 5-340, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 12        5-340.  FALSE TESTIMONY -- MISREPRESENTED FACTS AND PRINCIPLES -- CAUSE OF
 13    ACTION. Any injured party may bring an action for recovery of damages, includ-
 14    ing punitive damages which the facts may warrant, against any person, or legal
 15    entity acting through its representative, that:
 16        (1)  Testifies  at  trial,  or any other proceeding, or otherwise provides
 17    sworn testimony, where they:
 18        (a)  Knew or should have known the testimony was false; or
 19        (b)  Provided such testimony with the intent to deceive the fact-finder on
 20        a material issue;
 21        (2)  While holding himself out to be an expert, provides  material  scien-
 22    tific  information to a person, commission, board or other entity charged with
 23    fact-finding, when they:
 24        (a)  Knew or should have known that the scientific  information  presented
 25        is based upon scientific principles that are false; or
 26        (b)  Presented  the  scientific information with the intent to mislead the
 27        fact-finder;
 28        (3)  Knowingly files, lodges or otherwise submits any document to any gov-
 29    ernmental entity of any kind when the information in  such  document  incorpo-
 30    rates scientific principles that:
 31        (a)  Are material to a decision which must be made based upon the informa-
 32        tion contained in the document; and
 33        (b)  Are  false  or are presented with the intent to mislead the person(s)
 34        making the decision.
                                                                        
 35        SECTION 2.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
 36    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
 37    passage and approval.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                      STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                          RS 11936

This legislation creates a private right of action for persons 
injured by false testimony, presentation of false scientific 
principles and filing of documents which include false or 
misleading information. Liability can be established only when 
the person knew or should have known the information was false or 
when the person intended the information to be misleading.


 
                         FISCAL IMPACT

None.



Contact
Name:	Rep. Dick Harwood; Rep. Bill Sali
Phone:	332-1000


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE		H 598