15 U.S.C. § 6614

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)

Section 6614 - Y2K actions as class actions

(a) Material defect requirement

A Y2K action involving a claim that a product or service is defective may be maintained as a class action in Federal or State court as to that claim only if-

(1) it satisfies all other prerequisites established by applicable Federal or State law, including applicable rules of civil procedure; and

(2) the court finds that the defect in a product or service as alleged would be a material defect for the majority of the members of the class.

(b) Notification

In any Y2K action that is maintained as a class action, the court, in addition to any other notice required by applicable Federal or State law, shall direct notice of the action to each member of the class, which shall include-

(1) a concise and clear description of the nature of the action;

(2) the jurisdiction where the case is pending; and

(3) the fee arrangements with class counsel, including the hourly fee being charged, or, if it is a contingency fee, the percentage of the final award which will be paid, including an estimate of the total amount that would be paid if the requested damages were to be granted.

(c) Forum for Y2K class actions

(1) Jurisdiction

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction of any Y2K action that is brought as a class action.

(2) Exceptions

The district courts of the United States shall not have original jurisdiction over a Y2K action brought as a class action if-

(A)

(i) a substantial majority of the members of the proposed plaintiff class are citizens of a single State;

(ii) the primary defendants are citizens of that State; and

(iii) the claims asserted will be governed primarily by the laws of that State;

(B) the primary defendants are States, State officials, or other governmental entities against whom the district courts of the United States may be foreclosed from ordering relief;

(C) the plaintiff class does not seek an award of punitive damages, and the amount in controversy is less than the sum of $10,000,000 (exclusive of interest and costs), computed on the basis of all claims to be determined in the action; or

(D) there are less than 100 members of the proposed plaintiff class.

A party urging that any exception described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) applies to an action shall bear the full burden of demonstrating the applicability of the exception.

(3) Procedure if requirements not met

(A) Dismissal or remand

A United States district court shall dismiss, or, if after removal, strike the class allegations and remand, any Y2K action brought or removed under this subsection as a class action if-

(i) the action is subject to the jurisdiction of the court solely under this subsection; and

(ii) the court determines the action may not proceed as a class action based on a failure to satisfy the conditions of Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

(B) Amendment; removal

Nothing in paragraph (A) shall prohibit plaintiffs from filing an amended class action in Federal or State court. A defendant shall have the right to remove such an amended class action to a United States district court under this subsection.

(C) Period of limitations tolled

Upon dismissal or remand, the period of limitations for any claim that was asserted in an action on behalf of any named or unnamed member of any proposed class shall be deemed tolled to the full extent provided under Federal law.

(D) Dismissal without prejudice

The dismissal of a Y2K action under subparagraph (A) shall be without prejudice.

(d) Effect on rules of civil procedure

Except as otherwise provided in this section, nothing in this section supersedes any rule of Federal or State civil procedure applicable to class actions.

15 U.S.C. § 6614

Pub. L. 106-37, §15, July 20, 1999, 113 Stat. 201.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXTRules of Federal civil procedure, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1), (c)(3)(A)(ii), and (d), are contained in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure which are set out in the Appendix to Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

State

The term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any other territory or possession of the United States, and any political subdivision thereof.

material defect

The term "material defect" means a defect in any item, whether tangible or intangible, or in the provision of a service, that substantially prevents the item or service from operating or functioning as designed or according to its specifications. The term "material defect" does not include a defect that-(A) has an insignificant or de minimis effect on the operation or functioning of an item or computer program;(B) affects only a component of an item or program that, as a whole, substantially operates or functions as designed; or(C) has an insignificant or de minimis effect on the efficacy of the service provided.