<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<ns0:MeasureDoc xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:ns0="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1#" xmlns:ns3="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1# xca.1.xsd">
	


	<ns0:Description>
		<ns0:Id>20250SB__002997AMD</ns0:Id>
		<ns0:VersionNum>97</ns0:VersionNum>
		<ns0:History>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2024-12-02</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-05-23</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-09</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
		</ns0:History>
		<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
			<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
			<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
			<ns0:MeasureType>SB</ns0:MeasureType>
			<ns0:MeasureNum>29</ns0:MeasureNum>
			<ns0:MeasureState>AMD</ns0:MeasureState>
		</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Laird</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthor: Assembly Member Kalra)</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:Authors>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Laird</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Kalra</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
		</ns0:Authors>
		<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 377.34 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to civil actions.</ns0:Title>
		<ns0:RelatingClause>civil actions</ns0:RelatingClause>
		<ns0:GeneralSubject>
			<ns0:Subject>Civil actions: decedent’s cause of action.</ns0:Subject>
		</ns0:GeneralSubject>
		<ns0:DigestText>
			<html:p>Existing law provides that a cause of action that survives the death of the person entitled to commence an action or proceeding passes to the decedent’s successor in interest and an action may be commenced by the decedent’s personal representative or, if none, by the decedent’s successor in interest. Existing law provides that the damages recoverable in that action or proceeding include the loss or damage that the decedent sustained or incurred before death, including any penalties or punitive or exemplary damages that the decedent would have been entitled to recover had the decedent lived. Existing law also permits damages for a decedent’s pain, suffering, or disfigurement to be recovered in an action brought by the decedent’s personal representative or successor in interest if the action or proceeding was granted a specified preference before January 1, 2022, or was filed on or after
			 January 1, 2022, and before January 1, 2026. Existing law requires a plaintiff who recovers damages for pain, suffering, or disfigurement between specified dates to submit to the Judicial Council a copy of the judgment, consent judgment, or court-approved settlement agreement entitling the plaintiff to the damages and a cover sheet containing specified information. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to transmit to the Legislature a report detailing this information, as specified.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would extend the time frame for a decedent’s personal representative or successor in interest to file an action to recover damages for a decedent’s pain, suffering, or disfigurement to January 1, 2027. The bill would extend the requirement that a plaintiff who recovers such
			 damages report specified information about the action to the Judicial Council to include damages recovered through July 31, 2026. The bill would authorize any party to an action to submit the required information to the Judicial Council. The bill would extend to January 1, 2027, the deadline for the Judicial Council to submit a report to the Legislature and would change the period covered by the report to January 1, 2025, through July 31,
			 2026.</html:p>
		</ns0:DigestText>
		<ns0:DigestKey>
			<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
			<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
			<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
			<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
		</ns0:DigestKey>
		<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
			<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
			<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
				<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
				<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
				<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
				<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
				<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
				<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
			</ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
		</ns0:MeasureIndicators>
	</ns0:Description>
	<ns0:Bill id="bill">
		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_DD561902-F777-4F50-ADE1-EF47D73248D7">
			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:CCP:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'PART'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'TITLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'3.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'3.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'377.34.'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" ns3:type="locator">
				Section 377.34 of the 
				<ns0:DocName>Code of Civil Procedure</ns0:DocName>
				 is amended to read:
			</ns0:ActionLine>
			<ns0:Fragment>
				<ns0:LawSection id="id_52236C39-9174-4C81-A9FA-D1CDCFD9E7C5">
					<ns0:Num>377.34.</ns0:Num>
					<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_C6B3E372-F6B0-4FC5-8DEA-832694A673E1">
						<ns0:Content>
							<html:p>
								(a)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								In an action or proceeding by a decedent’s personal representative or successor in interest on the decedent’s cause of action, the damages recoverable are limited to the loss or damage that the decedent sustained or incurred before death, including, but not limited to, damages for pain, suffering, or disfigurement, and any penalties or punitive or exemplary damages that the decedent would have been entitled to recover had the decedent lived.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(b)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in an action or proceeding by a decedent’s personal representative or successor in interest on the decedent’s cause of action, the damages recoverable may include damages for pain, suffering, or disfigurement
						if the action or proceeding was granted a preference pursuant to Section 36 before January 1, 2022, or was filed on or after January 1, 2022, and before January 1, 2027.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(c)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								A plaintiff who recovers damages pursuant to subdivision (b) between January 1, 2026, and July 31, 2026, inclusive, shall, within 60 days after obtaining a judgment, consent judgment, or court-approved settlement agreement entitling the plaintiff to the damages, submit to the Judicial Council a copy of the
						judgment, consent judgment, or court-approved settlement agreement, along with a cover sheet detailing all of the following information:
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(1)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The date the action was filed.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(2)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The date of the final disposition of the action.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(3)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The amount and type of damages awarded, including economic damages and damages for pain, suffering, or disfigurement.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(4)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								Any party to the action or proceeding may submit the data specified in this subdivision to the Judicial Council.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(d)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								(1)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								On or before January 1,
						2027, the Judicial Council shall transmit to the Legislature a report detailing the information received pursuant to subdivision (c) for all judgments, consent judgments, or court-approved settlement agreements rendered from January 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, inclusive, in which damages were recovered pursuant to subdivision (b). The report shall comply with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(2)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2030, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, unless the Legislature takes action to extend or make its provisions permanent. 
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								
						(e)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								This section does not alter Section 3333.2 of the Civil Code.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(f)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								This section does not affect claims brought pursuant to Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 15600) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
							</html:p>
						</ns0:Content>
					</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
				</ns0:LawSection>
			</ns0:Fragment>
		</ns0:BillSection>
	</ns0:Bill>
</ns0:MeasureDoc>