Should Class Action Leftovers Go to Charity?

The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill this week that would change some aspects of how class action lawsuits are handled in Oregon, against the wishes of most Republican members. On its face, the bill would require at least half the unclaimed money in a class action lawsuit to be given to the Oregon State Bar's legal aid fund and sometimes to a cause related to the subject of the suit. (For example, an environmental nonprofit in a case regarding pollution.)