PUBLIC LAW 109–2—FEB. 18, 2005
119 STAT. 9
decree under paragraph (1) if the notice required under subsection (b) was directed to the appropriate Federal official and to either the State attorney general or the person that has primary regulatory, supervisory, or licensing authority over the defendant. ‘‘(3) APPLICATION OF RIGHTS.—The rights created by this subsection shall apply only to class members or any person acting on a class member’s behalf, and shall not be construed to limit any other rights affecting a class member’s participation in the settlement. ‘‘(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to expand the authority of, or impose any obligations, duties, or responsibilities upon, Federal or State officials.’’. (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters for part V is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 113 the following: ‘‘114. Class Actions .............................................................................................. 1711’’. SEC. 4. FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT JURISDICTION FOR INTERSTATE CLASS ACTIONS.
(a) APPLICATION OF FEDERAL DIVERSITY JURISDICTION.—Section 1332 is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following: ‘‘(d)(1) In this subsection— ‘‘(A) the term ‘class’ means all of the class members in a class action; ‘‘(B) the term ‘class action’ means any civil action filed under rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or similar State statute or rule of judicial procedure authorizing an action to be brought by 1 or more representative persons as a class action; ‘‘(C) the term ‘class certification order’ means an order issued by a court approving the treatment of some or all aspects of a civil action as a class action; and ‘‘(D) the term ‘class members’ means the persons (named or unnamed) who fall within the definition of the proposed or certified class in a class action. ‘‘(2) The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action in which the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $5,000,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and is a class action in which— ‘‘(A) any member of a class of plaintiffs is a citizen of a State different from any defendant; ‘‘(B) any member of a class of plaintiffs is a foreign state or a citizen or subject of a foreign state and any defendant is a citizen of a State; or ‘‘(C) any member of a class of plaintiffs is a citizen of a State and any defendant is a foreign state or a citizen or subject of a foreign state. ‘‘(3) A district court may, in the interests of justice and looking at the totality of the circumstances, decline to exercise jurisdiction under paragraph (2) over a class action in which greater than one-third but less than two-thirds of the members of all proposed plaintiff classes in the aggregate and the primary defendants are citizens of the State in which the action was originally filed based on consideration of—
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