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Show Hatch says bill could save money fight back against unreasonable government govern-ment regulations or orders. Too often these people have to cave in to whatever fool thing the government demands because they can't afford the costs of litigation," Hatch explained. "Testimony we heard in the Judiciary Committee Com-mittee showed the average firm will pay $16,000 in attorneys' fees alone, if the case gets into court, even if the court decides the government had no business bringing the complaint. I have letters from constituents who were pleased to be vindicated in court, but were not pleased at all about the money they had to spend to assert their rights as citizens. "When these agencies get socked with the bills for their misguided efforts ef-forts I think they'll get back to the work they're supposed to be doing. This law will make government more accountable. ac-countable. "The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the government govern-ment would have to pay on about 3000 court cases and 6000 cases before regulatory agencies each year, for a total of $106 million in 1980. But the Judiciary Committee agreed that the ultimate effect will be to curb substantially unjustified regulation. The costs will come out of the offending agency's budget, not out of increased costs to the consumer." "This bill was the number one priority of the small business community-endorsed by the Small Business Legislative Council, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the National Small Business Association," Hatch said. "The Equal Access to Justice Act will improve and enhance access to our courts and administrative ad-ministrative proceedings for ma ny Utahns and other Americans. It will improve the quality of justice in the United States," Hatch, said. WASHINGTON.D.C." Republican Senator Orrin Hatch said recently that a bill awaiting the signature of the president will help Utah businesses recoup costs from successful suc-cessful court fights with the federal government. Hatch was a co-sponsor of the bill. The Equal Access to Justice Act, would "authorize courts to award attorneys' fees and other legal expenses to a company that prevails in court or regulatory procedings, whether brought by or against the government," Hatch said. The law will allow the courts to require th federal agencies to pay the business person's expenses, ex-penses, if the court finds that the agency action was unreasonable. "This bill should give real relief to thousands of small businessmen in Utah who find themselves at a severe financial disadvantage when they attempt to assert their legal rights against giant bureaucratic armies. "We're trying to give citizens and small businesses the means to |