Greetings!
We just received notice this evening that House Bill 2880, Making Peer Review Records of Design Professionals Privileged Information and Providing Immunity from Civil Liability, has been added to the House Legislative Agenda for tomorrow (Tuesday).
That means that the bill will come up for a vote by the full House sometime Tuesday!
Quick Background: House Majority Leader Mike Sanders introduced this bill at ACEC OKLAHOMA's request. The bill passed the House Business & Commerce Committee last Wednesday 15-0.
As reported to you a couple of weeks ago, HB 2880
deals with Peer Review by engineers and architects and makes privileged the reports, statements, memoranda, proceedings, findings and other records submitted to or generated by any peer review committee or peer reviewer. And, this information is not subject to discovery/subpoena or admissible in evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding.
This is a BIG deal!!!
Currently, the records, reports, etc., of a peer review are admissible and discoverable, and expose the peer review committee/reviewer to a great deal of professional liability regardless of whether or not the “engineer of record” incorporated the finding of the committee/reviewer into the final design plans. And, this applies to both preconstruction and post-construction peer reviews.
TIME IS SHORT. The House goes into session at 9:30am Tuesday morning. We don't know exactly when the bill will be heard, but unless something changes, IT WILL BE HEARD BY THE FULL HOUSE TUESDAY!!!
PLEASE CALL and/or EMAIL YOUR HOUSE MEMBER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!!
Talking Points (which you are welcome to download and email to your House member) and a full House Directory are below. Don't know your House Member?
Click Here
and enter your home and/or work address info.
And, please report to me by email any responses you receive.
Lastly, for your information, there may be a procedural move on HB 2880 called "striking title." This is a common action in the Legislature to stave off early opposition to a piece of legislation. ACEC OKLAHOMA has agreed to this so that we can keep the bill moving forward. If any member of the House mentions this to you, don't be surprised and again, ACEC OKLAHOMA is agreeable to this.
CLICK ON EACH IMAGE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD PDF INFORMATION!!!!
Thanks for your help!
Jim
