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• Introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson (D) on February 11, 2009, to establish that if a person is required to sue an insurance company for its failure to pay benefits in a timely manner, a court may award the insured all legal costs and expenses, and if the insurer acted in bad faith, the greater of triple damages or $10,000.
  • Referred to the House Insurance Committee on February 11, 2009.
    • Reported in the House on August 19, 2009, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on August 19, 2009, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance of the bill as previously described. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on August 19, 2009.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Cindy Denby (R) on August 19, 2009, to require a person to exhaust "all administrative remedies" before bringing a lawsuit under the provisions of the bill. Having to wait more than 120 days for a ruling by the state insurance commission would be considered "exhausting all administrative remedies". The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on August 19, 2009.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Kevin Green (R) on August 19, 2009, to cap attorney fees awarded under the bill's provsions at one-third of the first $100,000; 15 percent of the amount between $100,000 and $500,000; and 10 percent of the amount between $500,000 and $1 million. Note: Although passed, the amendment was not included in a subsequent substitute version of the bill that was adopted. The amendment passed 57 to 49 in the House on August 19, 2009.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Joan Bauer (D) on August 19, 2009, to clarify the definition of which insurance companies are covered under the bill. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 19, 2009.
  • Substitute offered by Rep. Mike Simpson (D) on August 19, 2009, to adopt a substitute version of the bill that is essentially identical to the committee substitute before it was amended. This is a technigue used by the majority to "sweep away" Republican amendments they do not want to defeat for political reasons. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on August 19, 2009.
• Passed 62 to 44 in the House on August 19, 2009.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on August 26, 2009.
  • Referred to the Senate Economic Development and Regulatory Reform Committee on August 26, 2009.