The Interstate Class Action Jurisdiction Act will streamline the ability of courts to deal with class action lawsuits by making it easier for those involved in the case to transfer the suit from state courts to federal courts.

  "What this legislation does is call for common-sense reform," Rep. Bryant said. "When these class action suits have such far reaching consequences for the rest of the country, they should be heard in a federal court. Federal courts have the resources to adequately address many of these interstate issues."

  The Interstate Class Action Jurisdiction Act allows federal courts to hear purely interstate class action cases and allows any party to the suit to remove the class action case to federal court.

  The legislation stems from the widespread abuse of what was meant to be a procedural device of last resort where people with identical claims, such as crash victims, could bring their case at one time in one court.

  The bill offers a solution to the class action crisis by making it easier for plaintiff class members and defendants to remove class actions to federal court, where multiple state laws are more appropriately heard.

  However, the bill does not limit the ability of anyone to file a class action lawsuit. It merely allows federal courts to hear big lawsuits involving truly interstate issues.