By:  Wentworth, et al.                                  S.B. No. 23
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to directing the supreme court to adopt certain rules of
    1-2  civil procedure.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Government Code, is
    1-5  amended by adding Section 22.0045 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 22.0045.  RULES TO EXPEDITE LITIGATION.  (a)  The
    1-7  supreme court is directed to draft rules to streamline and expedite
    1-8  civil litigation in this state, including rules that:
    1-9              (1)  encourage alternative dispute resolution
   1-10  procedures; and
   1-11              (2)  require judicial sanctions against frivolous
   1-12  lawsuits, frivolous defenses, and abuses of the discovery process.
   1-13        (b)  The supreme court shall adopt rules under this section
   1-14  on or before December 31, 1996.
   1-15        (c)  This section expires January 1, 1997.
   1-16        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-21  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-22  passage, and it is so enacted.