Agenda Item Wording:
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Joint letter of support for comprehensive Tort Reform – Authorize the Mayor to sign a joint letter of support for comprehensive tort reform to protect California taxpayers, survivors, and essential public services.
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Agenda Date: 9/8/2026
Prepared by:
John Lollis, Assistant City Manager, John.Lollis@visalia.gov, (559)713-4323
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign a joint letter of support for comprehensive tort reform.
Summary:
Authorize the Mayor to sign a joint letter of support for comprehensive tort reform to protect California taxpayers, survivors, and essential public services. Led by the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA), numerous public agencies and associations across California are joining together to encourage the State Legislature to enact meaningful tort reform for civil actions against public entities.
Background Discussion:
Beginning in May 2026, CAJPA and several other public associations authored a letter to the members of the State Legislature to urge the enacting of meaningful tort reform for civil actions against public entities. Recent data released by CAJPA indicates that public-entity liability costs have tripled in the last seven (7) years and now exceed $7 billion in known exposure, and costs are on pace to grow another seventy percent (70%) by 2027-28. To address the escalating and unsustainable structure of liability, CAJPA and the supporting public agencies and associations have proposed the following reforms:
Defined benefits including caps on damages in civil actions against public entities, ensuring survivors and other injured parties are made whole while preserving the capacity to deliver essential public services.
Proportional liability for economic damages in civil actions against public entities, so that taxpayers pay only for the share of harm actually attributable to the public agency, and the perpetrat...
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