ACCESS Act of 2017

Summary

Accessible Care by Curbing Excessive lawSuitS Act of 2017 or the ACCESS Act of 2017 This bill establishes provisions governing health care lawsuits where coverage for the care was provided or subsidized by the federal government. The bill does not preempt certain state laws and federal vaccine injury laws and rules. The statute of limitations is three years after the injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, whichever occurs first, with exceptions. Noneconomic damages are limited to $250,000. Juries may not be informed of this limitation. Courts must supervise the payment of damages and may restrict attorney contingency fees. The bill sets limits on contingency fees. Certain evidence regarding collateral source benefits (e.g., insurance payments) may be introduced in lawsuits involving injury or wrongful death. The bill provides for periodic payment of future damage awards. A health care provider who prescribes, or dispenses pursuant to a prescription, a medical product approved by the Food and Drug Administration may not be a party to a liability lawsuit or class action lawsuit regarding the product. Expressions of apology, fault, or sympathy by health care providers or their employees to patients or their relatives or representatives regarding suffering, injury, or death from an unanticipated outcome of care are inadmissible as evidence of liability. A person must give a health care provider 90 days' notice before commencing a lawsuit, with exceptions. An affidavit of merit signed by a health care professional who qualifies as an expert witness must be filed simultaneously with a lawsuit. The bill establishes qualifications for expert witnesses.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 23 March 2017

   Introduced

   Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 23 March 2017

   Introduced

   Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 23 March 2017

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 23 March 2017

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

5. 24 March 2017

   Referred

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

   Source: Committee

6. 6 April 2017

   Referred

   Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in House · 23 March 2017 · Download file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 23 March 2017

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 23 March 2017

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  Leesvertaling

  Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

  Vertaal naarNL · DutchDE · GermanFR · FrenchES · SpanishIT · ItalianPL · PolishPT · PortugueseSV · SwedishDA · DanishFI · FinnishEL · GreekCS · CzechHU · HungarianRO · RomanianBG · BulgarianHR · CroatianSK · SlovakSL · SlovenianLT · LithuanianLV · LatvianET · EstonianGA · IrishMT · Maltese

  Vertaal document

  Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 23 March 2017

  Open at official source

  Leesvertaling

  Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

  Vertaal naarNL · DutchDE · GermanFR · FrenchES · SpanishIT · ItalianPL · PolishPT · PortugueseSV · SwedishDA · DanishFI · FinnishEL · GreekCS · CzechHU · HungarianRO · RomanianBG · BulgarianHR · CroatianSK · SlovakSL · SlovenianLT · LithuanianLV · LatvianET · EstonianGA · IrishMT · Maltese

  Vertaal document

  Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

• Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-8] · R · Sponsor
• Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] · R · Cosponsor
• Rep. Tipton, Scott R. [R-CO-3] · R · Cosponsor
• · hsju00 · Standing
• · hsif00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017
• related to → ACCESS Act of 2019