Florida Senate - 2017                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 334
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì266818JÎ266818                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                   Comm: RS            .                                
                  03/29/2017           .                                
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       The Committee on Rules (Lee) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 55.035, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         55.035 Prejudgment interest.—In any action in which a
    8  plaintiff recovers noneconomic damages, a court may award
    9  prejudgment interest upon a motion by the plaintiff if the court
   10  finds that the award is warranted based on the nature of the
   11  damages, the time elapsed between the date the defendant
   12  received written notice of the claim and the verdict or
   13  judgment, and the conduct of the parties and counsel in
   14  expeditiously resolving the case. The interest rate that applies
   15  to prejudgment interest awarded under this section is the rate
   16  established pursuant to s. 55.03.
   17         Section 2. This act does not affect the accrual of
   18  prejudgment interest before the effective date of the act if
   19  otherwise authorized by statute or common law.
   20         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017, and
   21  shall apply to causes of action that accrue on or after that
   22  date.
   23  
   24  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   25  And the title is amended as follows:
   26         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   27  and insert:
   28                        A bill to be entitled                      
   29         An act relating to prejudgment interest; creating s.
   30         55.035, F.S.; authorizing a court to award prejudgment
   31         interest on noneconomic damages under certain
   32         circumstances; specifying the rate at which interest
   33         accrues; providing for construction and applicability;
   34         providing an effective date.