Florida Senate - 2017                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 334
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì398962PÎ398962                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/29/2017           .                                
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       The Committee on Rules (Lee) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Substitute for Amendment (266818) (with title
    2  amendment)
    3  
    4         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    5  and insert:
    6         Section 1. Section 55.035, Florida Statutes, is created to
    7  read:
    8         55.035 Prejudgment interest.—In any action in which a
    9  plaintiff recovers noneconomic damages, a court may award
   10  prejudgment interest on those damages upon a motion by the
   11  plaintiff if the court finds that the award is warranted based
   12  on the nature of the damages, the time elapsed between the date
   13  the defendant received written notice of the claim and the
   14  verdict or judgment, and the conduct of the parties and counsel
   15  in expeditiously resolving the case. The interest rate that
   16  applies to prejudgment interest awarded under this section is
   17  the rate established pursuant to s. 55.03.
   18         Section 2. This act does not affect the accrual of
   19  prejudgment interest before the effective date of the act if
   20  otherwise authorized by statute or common law.
   21         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017, and
   22  shall apply to causes of action that accrue on or after that
   23  date.
   24  
   25  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   26  And the title is amended as follows:
   27         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   28  and insert:
   29                        A bill to be entitled                      
   30         An act relating to prejudgment interest; creating s.
   31         55.035, F.S.; authorizing a court to award prejudgment
   32         interest on noneconomic damages under certain
   33         circumstances; specifying the rate at which interest
   34         accrues; providing for construction and applicability;
   35         providing an effective date.