[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4022 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4022

   To amend title 28, United States Code, to protect the right of a 
     claimant in a civil action before a Federal court to retain a 
 structured settlement broker to negotiate the terms of payment of an 
                     award, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2012

     Mr. Higgins (for himself, Ms. Hochul, and Mr. Braley of Iowa) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 28, United States Code, to protect the right of a 
     claimant in a civil action before a Federal court to retain a 
 structured settlement broker to negotiate the terms of payment of an 
                     award, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Structured Settlement Claimants 
Rights Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. IN GENERAL.

    (a) Federal Court Proceedings.--Chapter 111 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1660. Right to retain structured settlement broker
    ``A claimant in any civil action before a Federal court shall have 
the right to retain a structured settlement broker to act on behalf of 
that claimant for purposes of negotiating a schedule of payments or 
other terms of payment of a sum certain previously agreed to paid by or 
on behalf of the defendant in satisfaction of a judgment against that 
defendant or in accordance with the terms of a settlement. The court 
shall inform the claimant of this right at the appropriate time. The 
defendant shall provide timely notice of any professional relationship 
between the defendant and the broker if any such relationship exists or 
has existed.''.
    (b) Administrative Proceedings.--Section 554 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) In the case of any proceeding under this section, a party to 
that proceeding shall have the right to retain a structured settlement 
broker to act on behalf of that party for purposes of negotiating a 
schedule of payments or other terms of payment of a sum certain 
previously agreed to paid by or on behalf of another party in 
satisfaction of a decision against that party or in accordance with the 
terms of a settlement between the parties. The agency shall inform the 
claimant of this right at the appropriate time. The defendant shall 
provide timely notice of any professional relationship between the 
defendant and the broker if any such relationship exists or has 
existed.''.
                                 <all>