1-1  By:  Seidlits (Senate Sponsor - Brown)                H.B. No. 2987
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1995;
    1-3  May 15, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
    1-4  Jurisprudence; May 16, 1995, reported favorably by the following
    1-5  vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 16, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the authority of the supreme court to adopt rules
    1-9  relating to the contractual relationship between an attorney and
   1-10  client.
   1-11        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-12        SECTION 1.  Subtitle G, Title 2, Government Code, is amended
   1-13  by adding Chapter 84 to read as follows:
   1-14            CHAPTER 84.  RULES RELATING TO ATTORNEY'S FEES
   1-15        Sec. 84.001.  CERTAIN RULES PROHIBITED.  The supreme court
   1-16  may not adopt a rule that:
   1-17              (1)  interferes with an attorney's ability to contract
   1-18  in the free market to provide legal services for a fee; or
   1-19              (2)  discourages competition among attorneys to provide
   1-20  legal services at reasonable fees.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-22  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-23  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-24  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-25  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-26  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-27  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-28                               * * * * *