representatives vote for law banning frivolous lawsuits

Sept. 23, 2004 - The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act, intended to stop baseless lawsuits and fine those who file them, has passed the House of Representatives.

The legislation still needs to pass the Senate before it can become law.

According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturer's Association, the target of this legislation was, in part, the environmental groups that file lawsuits to delay or stop legislation, regardless of the merits of the case. Right now, there are more than 7,100 active environmental lawsuits being litigated in the United States. For example, of the 180 recent challenges made to forest fuel reduction projects that are aimed at reducing wildfires, 161 suits were thrown out of court as frivolous.

"Certainly frivolous lawsuits are often filed by environmental organizations hoping to stop or delay perfectly good recreation plans and travel management plans that are worked on by snowmobile clubs and associations. When responsible recreation plans are stopped by frivolous lawsuits, tourism related jobs are lost and all Americans lose family recreational activities for their grandchildren," ISMA said in a release.