The federal district courts have original jurisdiction over state class actions when: (1) any plaintiff is a citizen of a different state from any defendant; (2) any plaintiff is a foreign country or citizen/subject of a foreign country and any defendant is a citizen of any U.S. state; or (3) any plaintiff is a citizen of any U.S. state and any defendant is a citizen/subject of a foreign country.

The federal district courts have original jurisdiction over state class actions when the aggregate amount in controversy is over $75,000 and: (1) any plaintiff is a citizen of a different state from any defendant; (2) any plaintiff is a foreign country or a citizen/subject of a foreign country and any defendant is a citizen of any U.S. state; or (3) any plaintiff is a citizen of any U.S. state and any defendant is a foreign state or a citizen/subject of a foreign country.

3. Our federal courts are already overburdened with cases that traditionally have been dealt with in state courts. This bill will add thousands of complex, time-consuming class action cases. As a result, justice will not only be greatly delayed for class action plaintiffs, but for individual plaintiffs with civil cases in the clogged federal courts as well.

The federal district court shall abstain from hearing the action if the action is an intrastate case (the claims will be governed primarily by the laws of the state in which the action was filed and the "substantial majority" of plaintiffs and the "primary defendants" are citizens of a single state), a limited scope case (all aggregated matters in controversy do not exceed $1 million or the class is made up of fewer than 100 plaintiffs), or a state action case (the primary defendants are States, State officials, or other governmental entities).

The district court shall abstain from hearing a class action under the above original jurisdiction classification if either: (1) the "substantial majority" of the proposed plaintiffs and the "primary defendants" are citizens of a single state and the claims asserted will be governed primarily by the laws of that state, or (2) the primary defendants are states or governmental entities against whom the district court may be foreclosed from ordering relief.

In addition, the House bill requires abstention if the claims do not exceed $1 million in the aggregate or there are fewer than 100 class members. Unfortunately, these requirements will only be met by a select few cases and federal courts will have jurisdiction in most cases.

The bill does not apply if the claim relates to a corporation's or business association's internal affairs or governance or to claims relating to any security as defined by the Securities Act of 1933.

Class actions may be removed to federal court by any defendant without consent or any plaintiff member who is not a named or representative class member without consent. Cases may be removed before or after the case is certified as a class action.

Class actions may be removed to federal court by any defendant or any plaintiff member who is not a named or representative class member without consent. Cases may be removed before or after the case is certified as a class action.

If, after removal, the court determines that no aspect of an action that is subject to its jurisdiction solely under this bill may be maintained as a class action under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, it shall dismiss the action. An action dismissed under this subsection may be refiled in state court, but is still removable to federal court if the U.S. District Courts have original jurisdiction. The statute of limitations is tolled upon dismissal to the full amount provided under federal law.

If the action is subject to federal court jurisdiction solely through this bill and the court determines the action cannot proceed as a class action for failure to satisfy Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, the court shall dismiss or, if after removal, strike the class allegations and remand the action. The statute of limitations is tolled upon dismissal or remand to the full amount provided under federal law. Nothing will prohibit plaintiffs from filing an amended complaint in federal or state court.

The Act would apply to any action commenced on or after the date of the Act's enactment.

The Act would apply to any action commenced on or after the date of the Act’s enactment.

In addition, the court may award attorney's fees and expenses to plaintiff's counsel based on a reasonable lodestar calculation.

Currently, Rule 11 limits the amount of sanctions to the amount that would deter similar conduct. The limitation is taken out under S. 353, leaving no outer limit on the amount of sanctions that could be imposed.

Under subsection (e)(1), class members may choose not to be bound by a settlement agreement or consent decree in a class action if the class member resides in a state where the State Attorney General has not been provided notice and materials under the above section.

The State and U.S. Attorneys General must have at least 120 days after receiving the above notices before hearings on final approval of a proposed settlement can be held.

Any court with jurisdiction over a plaintiff shall require that any written notice to the class contain a short summary describing the subject matter of the class action, the legal consequences of being a class member, the ability of a class member to seek removal of the action to federal court, and any other material information. If the correspondence is to inform class members of a proposed settlement agreement, an additional summary must be given of the benefits that will accrue to the class, the rights that class members will lose or waive through settlement, obligations that will be imposed on the defendants by settlement, the amount of attorneys fees being sought, and an explanation of how attorney fees will be calculated and funded. Notice provided through television or radio must describe the people who may potentially become class members, explain the right to exclude oneself from the class, and that failure to exercise the right of exclusion will result in class membership.