ZEM C.S.H.B. 1456 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


CIVIL PRACTICES
C.S.H.B. 1456
By: Goolsby
4-14-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

Currently, architects and engineers are protected with a 10 year statute
of limitation for any suit that is filed against any work that they may
have performed.  Interior designers and landscape architects are not
included in this protection, and this bill would amend the code to protect
these professional designers. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.H.B. 1456 would add interior designers and landscape
architects to Section 16.008 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 


SECTION-BY-SECTION

SECTION 1 Amends Section 16.008, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, by
adding interior designers and landscape architects to the Section heading. 

SECTION 2 Amends Section 16.008 (a) and (c), Civil and Remedies Code, by
adding interior designers and landscape architects to those protected by
the Section's statute of limitations period. 

SECTION 3 (a)  Effective date:  September 1, 1997.  

  (b)  Applies retrospectively except as provided by Subsection (c) of
this Section.  

  (c)  Provides that suit must commence on or after January 1, 1998 for
the Act to   apply.  

SECTION 4   Emergency clause.



COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1456 adds landscape architects to the original bill.  All other
aspects of the original bill are still intact.