75R10500 DLF-F                           

         By Corte                                                H.B. No. 18

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 18:

         By Bonnen                                           C.S.H.B. No. 18

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to liability for injury arising from a motor vehicle

 1-3     accident.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Title 4, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Chapter 92 to read as follows:

 1-7              CHAPTER 92.  LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN MOTOR VEHICLE

 1-8                                  ACCIDENTS

 1-9           Sec. 92.001.  LIABILITY FOR INJURY TO CERTAIN OPERATORS.

1-10     (a)  A person may not obtain noneconomic damages or exemplary

1-11     damages in a civil action for bodily injury, death, or damage to or

1-12     destruction of property arising out of a motor vehicle accident if:

1-13                 (1)  the person was:

1-14                       (A)  operating a motor vehicle, at the time of

1-15     the accident, while intoxicated in violation of Section 49.04,

1-16     Penal Code, or another law of this state relating to the operation

1-17     of a motor vehicle while intoxicated; and

1-18                       (B)  convicted of an offense described by

1-19     Paragraph (A); or

1-20                 (2)  the person was knowingly operating the motor

1-21     vehicle, at the time of the accident, in violation of Section

1-22     601.051, Transportation Code.

1-23           (b)  Subsection (a) does not apply to a person described by

1-24     Subsection (a)(2) if the person was injured by another person who

 2-1     was:

 2-2                 (1)  operating a motor vehicle, at the time of the

 2-3     accident, while intoxicated in violation of Section 49.04, Penal

 2-4     Code, or another law of this state relating to the operation of a

 2-5     motor vehicle while intoxicated; and

 2-6                 (2)  convicted of an offense described by Subdivision

 2-7     (1).

 2-8           (c)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), Subsection (a)

 2-9     applies to a claim for damages made by a person whose right to

2-10     recovery derives from an injury to another person whose right to

2-11     recovery of noneconomic and exemplary damages would be barred under

2-12     Subsection (a), including a claim for wrongful death or for loss of

2-13     consortium or companionship.

2-14           (d)  This section does not prohibit the recovery of exemplary

2-15     damages for a wilful act or omission or gross neglect in a wrongful

2-16     death action brought by or on behalf of a surviving spouse or heirs

2-17     of the decedent's body under a statute enacted pursuant to Section

2-18     26, Article XVI, Texas Constitution.  A claim for exemplary damages

2-19     described by this subsection is governed by Chapter 41.

2-20           (e)  Each insurer that issues a policy of motor vehicle

2-21     insurance in this state to comply with the requirements of Chapter

2-22     601, Transportation Code, including a Lloyd's plan insurer, county

2-23     mutual insurer, or reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, shall

2-24     notify the person to whom the policy is issued of the provisions of

2-25     Subsections (a)-(d).  The notice required by this subsection shall

2-26     be made at the time the policy is initially issued and at any time

2-27     coverage under the policy is terminated.  The commissioner of

 3-1     insurance by rule shall adopt the form and content of the notice

 3-2     required by this subsection.

 3-3           (f)  The Department of Public Safety shall post notice of the

 3-4     provisions of Subsections (a)-(d) at each facility of the

 3-5     department at which an in-person application for issuance or

 3-6     renewal of a license may be made.

 3-7           (g)  A person who offers a driving safety course approved by

 3-8     the Texas Education Agency under the Texas Driver and Traffic

 3-9     Safety Education Act (Article 4413(29c), Vernon's Texas Civil

3-10     Statutes) shall notify each student in writing of the provisions of

3-11     Subsections (a)-(d).  The Texas Education Agency shall adopt the

3-12     form and content of the notice required by this subsection.  At the

3-13     option of the person who offers the course, the notice may be

3-14     included in approved course materials or provided separately from

3-15     those materials.

3-16           (h)  This section does not prohibit the person described by

3-17     Subsection (a) from acting in a representative capacity to bring

3-18     suit on behalf of  another person injured in the accident, as next

3-19     friend or otherwise.

3-20           (i)  In this section:

3-21                 (1)  "Exemplary damages" has the meaning assigned by

3-22     Section 41.001.

3-23                 (2)  "Noneconomic damages" means damages other than

3-24     compensatory damages for pecuniary loss.  The term includes damages

3-25     for physical pain and mental anguish, loss of consortium,

3-26     disfigurement, physical impairment, or loss of  companionship and

3-27     society.  The term does not include exemplary damages.

 4-1           SECTION 2.  This Act applies only to a cause of action that

 4-2     accrues on or after the effective date of this Act.  An action that

 4-3     accrued before the effective date of this Act is governed by the

 4-4     law applicable to the action immediately before the effective date

 4-5     of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 4-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 4-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 4-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 4-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

4-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

4-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

4-12     passage, and it is so enacted.