Bill > HR2655

This bill, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2013, amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which governs the conduct of attorneys and parties in federal lawsuits by requiring them to certify that their filings are well-grounded in fact and law. The bill mandates that courts *shall* impose sanctions on any attorney, law firm, or party that violates this rule, rather than having the discretion to do so, and these sanctions must compensate any parties harmed by the violation, including covering reasonable expenses, attorney fees, and costs. It also removes a provision that allowed parties to avoid sanctions by withdrawing or correcting their offending filings within 21 days, and it authorizes courts to impose additional penalties like striking pleadings, dismissing the lawsuit, issuing non-monetary directives, or ordering penalty payments to the court for effective deterrence.