1-1  By:  Wentworth, et al.                                  S.B. No. 23
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed January 11, 1995; January 11, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development;
    1-4  January 31, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas
    1-5  11, Nays 0; January 31, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to directing the supreme court to adopt certain rules of
    1-9  civil procedure.
   1-10        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-11        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Government Code, is
   1-12  amended by adding Section 22.0045 to read as follows:
   1-13        Sec. 22.0045.  RULES TO EXPEDITE LITIGATION.  (a)  The
   1-14  supreme court is directed to draft rules to streamline and expedite
   1-15  civil litigation in this state, including rules that:
   1-16              (1)  encourage alternative dispute resolution
   1-17  procedures; and
   1-18              (2)  require judicial sanctions against frivolous
   1-19  lawsuits, frivolous defenses, and abuses of the discovery process.
   1-20        (b)  The supreme court shall adopt rules under this section
   1-21  on or before December 31, 1996.
   1-22        (c)  This section expires January 1, 1997.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-25  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-26  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-27  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-28  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-29  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-30                               * * * * *