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Judiciary committee advances bill raising mandatory-mediation cap to $75,000
Summary
AB 1523 would raise the monetary cap for mandatory referral to mediation in civil cases from $50,000 to $75,000 and add safeguards to promote mediation when likely to resolve disputes; committee advanced the measure after brief discussion and no recorded opposition.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Assembly Bill 1523, a Judiciary Committee bill that would raise the jurisdictional and controversy cap for mandatory referral of civil cases to mediation from $50,000 to $75,000 and add safeguards intended to ensure only cases with a high likelihood of amicable resolution are sent to mediation.
The bill’s presenter described it as a compromise reflecting stakeholder input and decades of experience with the existing statute. Supporters said the change would increase use of mediation as a tool to resolve disputes before trial while preserving Californians’ access to the courts. No witnesses approached in opposition during the hearing.
Senator Yielo commented that he had carried a similar bill with a higher limit previously and preferred a still-higher cap, but said he would support the compromise. Committee members discussed whether a larger increase might be preferable in a future session.
The committee recorded a motion to pass AB 1523; the hearing transcript records a committee roll-call of 7 yes, 0 no at the time the motion was first recorded and the bill was reported out of committee in subsequent calls recorded in the hearing transcript.
