Title: In Re: Amendment to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC2023-0701
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: July 6, 2023

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
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No. SC2023-0701 
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IN RE: AMENDMENT TO FLORIDA RULE OF APPELLATE 
PROCEDURE 9.130. 
 
July 6, 2023 
 
PER CURIAM. 
The Court, on its own motion, amends Florida Rule of 
Appellate Procedure 9.130 (Proceedings to Review Nonfinal Orders 
and Specified Final Orders).  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 
2(a), Fla. Const.; Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.140(d). 
 
In a concurrent opinion, we held that the First District Court 
of Appeal did not have the authority to perform certiorari review of a 
trial court’s denial of a motion to dismiss a medical malpractice 
action under chapter 766, Florida Statutes.  Univ. of Fla. Bd. of Trs. 
v. Carmody, No. SC2022-0068 (Fla. July 6, 2023).  However, we 
acknowledged that “the Medical Malpractice Act changed the law 
such that an interlocutory remedy for parties facing claims that fail 
to satisfy its presuit requirements is warranted.”  Id. at 3. 
 
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Accordingly, we now amend Florida Rule of Appellate 
Procedure 9.130(a)(3) to provide for interlocutory review of nonfinal 
orders that deny a motion to dismiss on the basis of the 
qualifications of a corroborating witness under subsections 
766.102(5)-(9), Florida Statutes.  We identify subsections (5)-(9) 
because those are the subsections that articulate the qualifications 
of a corroborating expert witness.  And we amend the rule to 
provide for interlocutory review only when these particular motions 
to dismiss are denied, as an order granting such a motion to 
dismiss would as a general matter result in the plaintiff’s case being 
dismissed without prejudice.  See Morgan v. Blancher, 489 So. 2d 
1217, 1218 (Fla. 2d DCA 1986) (“An order of dismissal with leave to 
amend is not appealable because it is a nonfinal order.”). 
We amend rule 9.130 as reflected in the appendix to this 
opinion.  New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are 
indicated by struck-through type.  The amendments shall become 
effective immediately.  Because the amendments were not published 
for comment previously, interested persons shall have seventy-five 
 
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days from the date of this opinion in which to file comments with 
the Court.1 
It is so ordered. 
MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, and 
FRANCIS, JJ., concur. 
LABARGA, J., dissents with an opinion. 
SASSO, J., did not participate. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER 
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
LABARGA, J., dissenting. 
 
 
I respectfully dissent to the majority’s decision to amend 
Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130 on its own motion.  This 
amendment will permit interlocutory review of nonfinal orders that 
deny motions to dismiss on the basis of the qualifications of a 
 
 
1.  All comments must be filed with the Court on or before 
September 19, 2023, as well as a separate request for oral 
argument if the person filing the comment wishes to participate in 
oral argument, which may be scheduled in this case.  If filed by an 
attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar, the comment must 
be electronically filed via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (Portal).  
If filed by a nonlawyer or a lawyer not licensed to practice in 
Florida, the comment may be, but is not required to be, filed via the 
Portal.  Any person unable to submit a comment electronically must 
mail or hand-deliver the originally signed comment to the Florida 
Supreme Court, Office of the Clerk, 500 South Duval Street, 
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1927; no additional copies are required 
or will be accepted. 
 
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corroborating witness in medical malpractice cases.  A rule change 
of this magnitude should be referred to the appropriate committee 
for consideration and recommendations prior to its adoption. 
Original Proceeding – Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 
 
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APPENDIX 
RULE 9.130. 
PROCEEDINGS TO REVIEW NONFINAL ORDERS 
AND SPECIFIED FINAL ORDERS 
(a) 
Applicability. 
(1)-(2) 
[No Change] 
(3) 
Appeals to the district courts of appeal of nonfinal 
orders are limited to those that: 
(A)-(E) 
[No Change] 
(F) 
deny a motion that: 
(i)-(ii) 
 
[No Change] 
(iii) asserts entitlement to sovereign 
immunity; or 
(G) 
grant or deny a motion for leave to amend to 
assert a claim for punitive damages.; or 
(H)  deny a motion to dismiss on the basis of the 
qualifications of a corroborating expert witness under subsections 
766.102(5)-(9), Florida Statutes. 
(4)-(5) 
[No Change] 
(b)-(i) 
[No Change] 
Committee Notes 
[No Change]