PaOHV Alert-RULWA DELAYED, RESCHEDULED

[Marylander]

Reposting from dcoffroad@yahoogroups.com/Chuck Marler:

Do YOU know of anyone living in PA? Please see the action alert below and encourage your membership to call their state reps in support of HB544 without any amendments. Please stress that we do not want the amendments as they are inserted on behalf of trial lawyers and effectively neuter the bill.

PaOHV needs your immediate action again to ensure passage of HB 544.

Action Needed

Contact (call, write or email) your state House member(s). Make your Representative(s) aware that HB 544 will be considered next week and your support of it. Be sure to cite the bill number (HB 544) for easy reference. Your communication should include:

1. Asking your Representative(s) to support HB 544, without amendments, when it comes to a floor vote. Ask your Representative(s) to vote in favor of HB 544

HB 544 provides attorney's fees for defendant landowners when cases brought against them are found to be baseless and without merit. The legislation creates a firewall for landowners protecting them from enormous costs of opportunistic lawsuits.

This presents the OHV community with an extraordinary opportunity to broaden the scope of protections afforded to landowners.

2. Ask your Representative vote AGAINST any amendments to HB 544.

Several amendments have been filed by the Trial Lawyers Association. All weaken the legislation or send RULWA backwards. All amendments must be rejected.

REJECT the17 amendments sponsored by Representatives Longetti (D Mercer Co)., Gibbons (D Lawrence Co)., Neuman (D Washington Co). Rep. Gary Haluska (D Cambria Co) which would make it easier to bring a frivolous suit against a land owner.

Enhanced liability protection for landowners is essential to developing trails on private land. Private land owners must be granted protections from the costs of litigation.