Newly Introduced Bill Calls for Significant Class Action, MDL Reforms

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee has introduced a bill that imposes significant class action reforms, including requiring plaintiffs seeking to proceed under Rule 23 to prove that each proposed class member suffered the same type and scope of injury as the named class representative.

On Feb. 9, Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R-Va.) introduced the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017 (H.R. 985), which also imposes new restrictions on class action lawyers and introduces new rules governing multidistrict litigation cases.

The stated purposes of the Act are to “assure fair and prompt recoveries for class …