The Senate Appropriations Committee heard SB 199 on the recovery of litigation expenses. The bill is authored by Senators Koch, Buck, and Freeman and provides that attorney’s fees may be awarded against a governmental entity in a case where a court finds that the claim brought by the governmental entity was frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless, but provides that the application of the law to governmental entities may not be interpreted to waive sovereign immunity.
The bill was amended by consent to lower the awarded fees to a range of $25,000 to $75,000. The Hoosier Environmental Council testified in opposition. The amended bill passed 12-0.
Read the bill at: http://www.iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/senate/199