Judiciary Committee adopts House Committee substitute for Senate Bill 1067, bundling anti‑SLAPP, deposition and court automation measures

The Judiciary Committee adopted a House Committee substitute (ending in 02C) for Senate Bill 1067 that bundles several civil-justice measures and sent the substitute forward with a roll-call vote of 11 ayes and 0 nays.

The substitute incorporates Representative Feid’s bill (1711) to implement a Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act; Representative Keithley’s anti‑SLAPP bill (2666); Representative Parker’s bills (3116 and 3289) addressing workers’ compensation/LLC procedures and court operations; and an addition from Representative Black creating a treatment court administrator position for certain circuits.

Representative Feid described 1711 as streamlining out‑of‑state subpoenas: “Now you just notify the clerk. They send out subpoenas and it eliminates the whole process of hiring another lawyer locally and running up costs,” he said, noting support from the attorney general’s office.

Members briefly discussed bill 2666 as an anti‑SLAPP measure intended to protect certain forms of speech from early dismissal. The committee spent more time on provisions in 3116 that alter workers’ compensation practice by allowing a law firm name change on a claim (with claimant approval) and administrative adjustments through the relevant commission. The substitute also includes a domestic limited liability company provision designed to give courts clearer authority to resolve or dissolve deadlocked LLCs to reduce prolonged litigation and legal fees.

On bill 3289, the chair said the measure establishes a committee to manage a statewide automation fund for OSCA to oversee court technology and related operations. Representative Black asked the committee to remember that the treatment‑court administrator provision targets circuits that lack a commissioner or administrator; he said roughly 14–15 circuits have no dedicated staff for those duties and would be provided an administrator under the change. “For those circuits that do not have either a commissioner or an administrator … they would be provided an administrator because associate circuit judges that handle those duties have no staff,” he said.

Chair Parker moved adoption of the House Committee substitute; the substitute was adopted by voice and the committee then voted the substitute for Senate Bill 1067 as 'due pass' on a roll call, with a recorded tally of 11 ayes and 0 nays. The committee adjourned with no further action on the item.

The substitute now advances in the legislative process as the committee-recommended vehicle for the bundled jurisprudence measures.