The Senate on Friday passed House Bill 6503, an individual relief (claim) bill for Mandy Penny Lehi related to a motor-vehicle crash that occurred on Oct. 1, 2018. The bill provides local funds to pay the remaining unpaid balance of a jury verdict.

Sponsor explanation and vote

Senator DeSigley explained the circumstances on the floor: "On 10/01/2018, Miss Mandy Penny Lehi was the victim of a motor vehicle crash. While stopped at a traffic light, Miss Penny Lehi was rear-ended by a Sarasota County employee driving a full-size pickup truck. The force of the collision forced Miss Penny Lehi to crash into the car in front of her as well. This claims bill for local funds in the amount of $2,200,000. This amount is the remaining unpaid balance of a $2,400,000 jury verdict."

Following sponsor remarks, the Senate read the bill and proceeded to a roll-call. The clerk recorded the vote as 35 yeas, 0 nays. The bill passed on third reading and will proceed to the next step in the formal process.

Context

Claim bills are used by the Legislature to authorize payments in cases where a state or local government is liable but lacks authorization under other statutes to satisfy a judgment. The floor explanation established the factual basis for the payment and the amount requested, summarized as the outstanding portion of a jury award.

Ending

The Senate approved the relief unanimously; the bill will proceed for final enrollment or action as required by legislative process.