On June 28, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017 (PACA), a bill that proposes to reform the current medical liability system. The legislation passed narrowly by a vote of 218 to 210.

Sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-IA), H.R. 1215 places a $250,000 federal cap on non-economic damages and establishes a claims statute of limitations of three years from the date of injury. The legislation also limits the costs that lawyers can recover in health care lawsuits, and it grants providers immunity in product liability lawsuits involving FDA-approved drugs or medical devices.

The act applies only to cases involving services covered “in whole or in part via a Federal program, subsidy or tax benefit.” The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that H.R. 1215 will reduce the federal health care spending deficit by $50 billion over 10 years.

“H.R. 1215 is common sense litigation reform that will rein in overly aggressive health care lawsuits while preserving the ability of plaintiffs to recover unlimited economic damages,” King said in comments about the legislation.

Co-sponsored by Republican Representatives Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and Lamar Smith and Bill Flores of Texas, the bill has been criticized by Democrats. According to MedPage Today, critics allege that it would hurt plaintiffs in malpractice cases.

The bill now heads to the Senate.