SB 587 Civil actions; filed on behalf of multiple persons

About SB-587

Civil actions filed on behalf of multiple persons. Provides that a circuit court may enter an order joining, coordinating, consolidating, or transferring civil actions upon finding that separate civil actions brought by a plaintiff on behalf of multiple similarly situated persons involve common questions of law or fact and arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences. Under current law, such order is permitted only where six or more plaintiffs have filed such actions. The bill further requires the Supreme Court of Virginia to promulgate rules no later than November 1, 2024, governing such actions. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025, except that the provisions of the bill requiring the Supreme Court to promulgate rules are effective in due course.