Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Year 2000 Legislation
By David M. Nadler and Bradley D. Wine*
On March 26, 1999, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved "The Year 2000 Fairness and Responsibility Act," the latest of several Congressional proposals aimed at restricting lawsuits related to the Year 2000 problem. The Act is co-sponsored by Senators Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and has been enthusiastically embraced by industry associations, high-tech and insurance companies, and small businesses. Despite being approved by the Committee, the legislation faces significant resistance when it comes before the full Senate some time in late April or early May. All of the Judiciary Committee's Democrat members, with the exception of Feinstein, voted against the measure, signaling the possibility of a larger partisan conflict. The Justice Department, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Clinton
