By Truan S.B. No. 1277 Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1277: By Crabb C.S.S.B. No. 1277 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to increased civil penalties for deceptive and fraudulent 1-3 practices against elderly consumers. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Article 17.47, Business and Commerce Code, is 1-6 amended by adding subsection (g) to read as follows: 1-7 (g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this 1-8 section, in addition to the request for a temporary restraining 1-9 order, temporary injunction or permanent injunction in a proceeding 1-10 brought under subsection (a) of this section, the consumer 1-11 protection division may request a civil penalty of not more than 1-12 $5,000 per violation, not to exceed a total of $25,000, if the 1-13 consumer protection division determines that the act or practice 1-14 complained of was calculated to acquire or deprive money or 1-15 property from one or more consumers who were at least 60 years old 1-16 at the time the alleged violation occurred. 1-17 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993. 1-18 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-19 crowded conditions of the calendars in both houses create an 1-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-23 and this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-24 passage, and it is so enacted.