Juneau -- The Alaska Senate Wednesday unanimously approved House Bill 9, sponsored by Representative Brian Porter (R-Anchorage), Speaker of the House.

"It has become apparent that these five minor housekeeping amendments to the Tort Reform legislation, enacted into law two sessions ago, are needed," said Porter. "These amendments are required in the section requiring the collection of settlement and other data in certain categories of civil litigation cases."

HB 9 proposes five amendments to accomplish the following:

• make mandatory the reporting of data by attorneys and by persons representing themselves;
• add several categories of cases which should be excluded from reporting requirements;
• clarify that reporting requirements arise only after final appeals as to cases that are fully litigated;
• effectively amend two court rules by limiting certain civil actions and specifying who is required to provide settlement information; and
• clarify that reporting requirements are applicable to cases which are settled or adjudicated on or after the bill is signed into law - reporting requirements are not retroactive to the effective date of the Tort Reform Law.

House Bill 9 now goes to the Governor for signature.