Opinion ID: 75772
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Georgia Renewal Statute

Text: 21 Even if a 30-day limitations period is applied to initiating judicial review under the IDEA, Appellant argues the Georgia Renewal Statute's tolling provision should revive his claim. See Ga.Code Ann. § 9-2-61(a). The Renewal Statute states: 22 When any case has been commenced in either a state or federal court within the applicable statute of limitations and the plaintiff discontinues or dismisses the same, it may be recommenced in a court of this state or in a federal court either within the original applicable period of limitations or within six months after the discontinuance or dismissal, whichever is later.... 23 Id. Because his federal action was commenced a mere three months after his state court action was voluntarily dismissed, Appellant asserts his claim should be considered timely. 24 A federal court adopting a state's statute of limitations ordinarily gives effect to that state's tolling provisions. See Hardin v. Straub, 490 U.S. 536, 539, 109 S.Ct. 1998, 2000, 104 L.Ed.2d 582 (1989). The tolling provisions, however, will not apply when such application defeats the goals of the federal law at issue. Id. In this case, because Appellant's federal complaint was filed less than six months after he voluntarily dismissed his state court challenge, application of the Renewal Statute would toll the statute of limitations. Such application, however, would frustrate the IDEA's goal of promptly resolving educational disputes. Specifically, the Renewal Statute's six-month extension would grossly distend the compressed procedural mechanism prescribed by the IDEA and its borrowed 30-day limitations period, thereby allowing the same unnecessary delay Congress intended to prevent. Furthermore, the Renewal Statute's application could delay resolution of the educational dispute for not just a total of six months, but for six months from the date a plaintiff chooses to dismiss his or her initial action, whenever that might be. This potential for indefinite lingering clearly runs afoul of the IDEA's objectives.