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RESOLVED, by the General Assembly of the League of California Cities, assembled during the Annual Conference in San Francisco, September 23, 2011, that the League encourages the existing 482 California cities to adopt resolutions calling for tort reform; and, be it further RESOLVED, that California cities be encouraged to ask their state legislators to pass a bill that establishes loser -pays lawsuit and tort reform; and, be it further RESOLVED, that California cities are encouraged to ask the League to sponsor and support a statewide proposition that makes loser -pays lawsuit and tort reform a constitutional amendment. Background Information on Resolution No. 2 Source: Citv of Waterford Every year cities must weigh the cost of fighting frivolous lawsuits against the amounts requested by the plaintiffs. The frivolity of the lawsuits usually have little bearing on this balancing act, nor does the likelihood that settling will only encourage more lawsuits. This perverse use of the court system penalizes cities and other government entities by allowing a person to file a lawsuit with no regard for the facts and no exposure on their part. Attorneys accept these lawsuits, relying on getting paid by a city settling the lawsuit as a purely business decision, often times receiving more money than the plaintiffs. Scarce taxpayer dollars are squandered fighting frivolous lawsuits or paying settlements to avoid lengthy trials and bad publicity. The passage of tort reform and a loser -pays constitutional amendment would enable elected officials to govern fairly without the fear of frivolous lawsuits, while still allowing the public to file suit when they have genuinely been wronged. The money saved through court costs, attorney's fees, payouts, staff time, and insurance premiums would be put to better use by cities to serve their taxpayers. » » » »» RESOLUTIONS REFERRED TO PUBLIC SAFETY POLICY COMMITTEE 3. RESOLUTION RELATED TO RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMMINENT HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS FOR BULLIED CHILDREN Source: Citv of Elk Grove Referred To: Public Safetv Poliev Committee Recommendation to General Resolutions Committee: WHEREAS, cities throughout the State of California are becoming more aware of the growing trend of bullying in schools and on the Internet that has become a serious nationwide problem, one with often severe consequences; and WHEREAS, surveys indicate that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, and at least 10 percent are bullied on a regular basis; and WHEREAS, more than 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet and more than 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, malting it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying; and WHEREAS, the social media network has vastly increased the number of users online and young people are eager to participate without understanding the consequences of their behavior; and 10