Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate debates Y2K immunity bill amid objections over liability and timing
Summary
Senate debate on House Bill 189 (Y2K-related governmental immunity) centered on whether immunity is necessary to protect state and local entities or whether it removes incentives to fix problems; opponents urged a special session later in the year or retaining existing caps rather than broad immunity. Transcript ends with question called; final roll call not recorded in provided text.
House Bill 189, addressing liability for harms arising from failures related to the Year 2000 (Y2K) date change, drew a lengthy floor debate on March 3.
Senator Steele argued the bill would protect government entities and encourage businesses to invest by limiting open-ended liability for unforeseeable Y2K-related failures. He and other proponents said the state and local governments lack assurance that they can fully fund responses to widespread systemic failures and that some protection may be necessary to keep essential public services operating.
Opponents, including Senator Stevenson and Senator Ed Allen, warned that granting immunity to government entities would treat public agencies differently than private citizens and businesses, remove incentives to remedy vulnerabilities before January 1, 2000, and expose private companies to unfair liability when local governments are protected. Senator Stevenson urged delaying any immunity grant to a later special session so pressure remains on officials to correct problems.
At the end of the transcript the question on HB189 had been called and a roll call was being arranged; the final tally and disposition of the bill are not recorded in the provided segments.
