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S.B. 191 Enrolled

             1     

GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY LIMITS

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2007 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             6     
House Sponsor: Stephen H. Urquhart

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah by amending provisions
             11      related to limitations of judgments.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    amends judgment limitation amounts to reflect amounts currently in effect as
             15      adjusted by the state risk manager based on changes in the Consumer Price Index;
             16          .    adds language to clarify that judgment limitation amounts specified in the statute are
             17      periodically adjusted; and
             18          .    makes technical changes.
             19      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             20          None
             21      Other Special Clauses:
             22          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2007.
             23      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             24      AMENDS:
             25          63-30d-604 (Effective 07/01/07), as last amended by Chapter 357, Laws of Utah 2006
             26     
             27      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             28          Section 1. Section 63-30d-604 (Effective 07/01/07) is amended to read:
             29           63-30d-604 (Effective 07/01/07). Limitation of judgments against governmental


             30      entity or employee -- Process for adjustment of limits.
             31          (1) (a) Except as provided in [Subsections] Subsection (2) and subject to Subsection
             32      (3), if a judgment for damages for personal injury against a governmental entity, or an
             33      employee whom a governmental entity has a duty to indemnify, exceeds [$553,500] $583,900
             34      for one person in any one occurrence, the court shall reduce the judgment to that amount.
             35          (b) A court may not award judgment of more than [$553,500] the amount in effect
             36      under Subsection (1)(a) for injury or death to one person regardless of whether or not the
             37      function giving rise to the injury is characterized as governmental.
             38          (c) Except as provided in Subsection (2) and subject to Subsection (3), if a judgment
             39      for property damage against a governmental entity, or an employee whom a governmental
             40      entity has a duty to indemnify, exceeds [$221,400] $233,600 in any one occurrence, the court
             41      shall reduce the judgment to that amount, regardless of whether or not the function giving rise
             42      to the damage is characterized as governmental.
             43          (d) [There] Subject to Subsection (3), there is a $2,000,000 limit to the aggregate
             44      amount of individual awards that may be awarded in relation to a single occurrence.
             45          (2) The damage limits established in this section do not apply to damages awarded as
             46      compensation when a governmental entity has taken or damaged private property for public use
             47      without just compensation.
             48          (3) The limitations of judgments established in Subsection (1) shall be adjusted
             49      according to the methodology set forth in Subsection (4).
             50          (4) (a) Each even-numbered year, the risk manager shall:
             51          (i) calculate the consumer price index as provided in Sections 1(f)(4) and 1(f)(5),
             52      Internal Revenue Code;
             53          (ii) calculate the increase or decrease in the limitation of judgment amounts established
             54      in this section as a percentage equal to the percentage [difference between] change in the
             55      Consumer Price Index [for the preceding calendar year and the consumer price index for
             56      calendar year 2003] since the previous adjustment made by the risk manager or the Legislature;
             57      and


             58          (iii) after making an increase or decrease under Subsection (4)(a)(ii), round up the
             59      limitation of judgment amounts established in Subsection (1) to the nearest $100.
             60          (b) Each even-numbered year [after 2004], the risk manager shall make rules, which
             61      become effective no later than July 1, that establish the new limitation of judgment amounts
             62      calculated under Subsection (4)(a).
             63          (c) Adjustments made by the risk manager to the limitation of judgment amounts
             64      established by this section have prospective effect only from the date the rules establishing the
             65      new limitation of judgment take effect and those adjusted limitations of judgment apply only to
             66      claims for injuries or losses that occur after the effective date of the rules that establish those
             67      new limitations of judgment.
             68          Section 2. Effective date.
             69          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2007.


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