Lamar Smith: “The Federal Courts and Venue Clarification Act brings more clarity to the operation of jurisdictional statutes and…”

“The Federal Courts and Venue Clarification Act brings more clarity to the operation of jurisdictional statutes and facilitates the identification of the appropriate State or Federal court in which action should be brought. I support this legislation and appreciate the bipartisan effort that has been made on the part of Mr. Scott, the gentleman from Virginia. Judges believe the current rules force them to waste time determining jurisdictional issues at the expense of adjudicating the underlying litigation. The contents of this bill are based on recommendations developed and approved by the United States Judicial Conference. The first version of the bill was developed in 2006, when I chaired the Courts Subcommittee. At the time, we confined our review to jurisdictional issues. Following a hearing and bill introduction, the Courts Subcommittee favorably reported the legislation to the full Judiciary Committee, but no further action was taken. Since then, jurists, legal scholars, bar groups, and policy-makers rekindled interest in resurrecting the project. This led to a rewriting of the bill to include a second title pertaining to venue.”