Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005
Sponsor: LAMAR SMITH (R-TX)
Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 - (Sec. 2) Amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Signing of Pleadings, Motions, and Other Papers; Representations to Court; Sanctions) to: (1) require courts to impose sanctions on attorneys, law firms, or parties who file frivolous lawsuits (currently, discretionary); (2) disallow the withdrawal or correction of pleadings to avoid Rule 11 sanctions; (3) require courts to award parties prevailing on Rule 11 motions reasonable expenses and attorney's fees, if warranted; and (4) authorize courts to impose Rule 11 sanctions that include reimbursement of a party's reasonable litigation costs in connection with frivolous lawsuits. (Sec.
Law Topic assigned by the Congressional Research Service.
Who won, and how much of the country was behind them
The dotted gap is 6.0% of U.S. adults whose member did not vote, voted “present,” or whose seat was vacant.
| Side | Outcome | Votes | Share of U.S. adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nay | Won | 226 | 52.9% |
| Yea | Lost | 184 | 41.1% |
| Not represented on this question | No position taken | 0 | 6.0% |