By:  Ratliff                                           S.B. No. 598
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the payment of claims on certain insurance policies or
    1-2  annuity contracts and to payment of attorney fees under those
    1-3  claims.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 6, Article 21.55, Insurance Code, is
    1-6  amended to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 6.  DAMAGES.  In all cases where a claim is made
    1-8  pursuant to a policy of insurance and the insurer liable therefor
    1-9  is not in compliance with the requirements of this article, such
   1-10  insurer shall be liable to pay the holder of the policy, or the
   1-11  beneficiary making a claim under the policy, in addition to the
   1-12  amount of the claim, 18 percent per annum of the amount of such
   1-13  claim as damages,  together with reasonable attorney fees <as may
   1-14  be determined by the trier of fact>.  If suit is filed, such <Such>
   1-15  attorney fees shall be taxed as part of the costs in the case.
   1-16        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-17        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.