By Johnson H.B. No. 2344 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the types of damages to be recovered on a claim 1-3 alleging discrimination by employers in violation of Article 8307c 1-4 of the Texas Worker's Compensation Act. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Article 8307c, Section 2, of the Texas Worker's 1-7 Compensation Act is amended to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 2. A person who violates any provision of Section 1 of 1-9 this Act shall be liable for any loss of wages and 1-10 employer-provided benefits suffered by an employee as a result of 1-11 the violation, and an employee discharged in violation of the Act 1-12 shall be entitled to be reinstated to his former position. 1-13 SECTION 2. Article 8307c, Section 3, shall be redesignated 1-14 Section 4. New Section 3 shall read as follows. 1-15 In any action or proceeding under this Article, the court in 1-16 its discretion may allow the prevailing employee a reasonable 1-17 attorney's fee as part of the costs. 1-18 SECTION 3. This Act applies only to a cause of action that 1-19 accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. An action that 1-20 accrues before the effective date of this Act is governed by the 1-21 law in effect at the time the action accrued, and that law is 1-22 continued in effect for that purpose. 1-23 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-1 crowded conditions of the calendars in both houses create an 2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-6 passage, and it is so enacted.