By Moffat                                              H.B. No. 711
       74R1384 DAK-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the statute of limitations for actions for personal
    1-3  injury or death.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 16, Civil Practice and
    1-6  Remedies Code, is amended by adding Section 16.0045 to read as
    1-7  follows:
    1-8        Sec. 16.0045.  FIVE-YEAR LIMITATIONS PERIOD.  (a)  A person
    1-9  must bring suit for personal injury not later than five years after
   1-10  the day the cause of action accrues.
   1-11        (b)  In an action for injury resulting in death, the cause of
   1-12  action accrues on the death of the injured person.
   1-13        SECTION 2.  Section 16.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code,
   1-14  is amended to read as follows:
   1-15        Sec. 16.003.  Two-Year Limitations Period.  <(a)>  A person
   1-16  must bring suit for trespass for injury to the estate or to the
   1-17  property of another, conversion of personal property, taking or
   1-18  detaining the personal property of another, <personal injury,>
   1-19  forcible entry and detainer, and forcible detainer not later than
   1-20  two years after the day the cause of action accrues.
   1-21        <(b)  A person must bring suit not later than two years after
   1-22  the day the cause of action accrues in an action for injury
   1-23  resulting in death.  The cause of action accrues on the death of
   1-24  the injured person.>
    2-1        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
    2-2  applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after that
    2-3  date.  A cause of action that accrued before the effective date of
    2-4  this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the cause of
    2-5  action accrued, and that law is continued in effect for that
    2-6  purpose.
    2-7        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-8  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.