By Hilbert H.B. No. 2419 75R8488 MLS-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the attorney-client privilege. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 81, Government Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 81.115 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 81.115. ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE; DEFINITION OF 1-7 REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CLIENT. (a) For purposes of the 1-8 attorney-client privilege, "representative of the client" means: 1-9 (1) a person who has the authority to: 1-10 (A) obtain legal services or advice for the 1-11 client; or 1-12 (B) act on the legal advice rendered to the 1-13 client; or 1-14 (2) a person who in the course and scope of the 1-15 person's employment with the client enters into a confidential 1-16 communication with an attorney in connection with obtaining legal 1-17 advice for the client. 1-18 (b) This section prevails to the extent of any conflict 1-19 between this section and the Texas Rules of Civil Evidence or the 1-20 Texas Rules of Criminal Evidence. 1-21 (c) Notwithstanding Section 22.004, this section may not be 1-22 modified or repealed by a rule adopted by the supreme court. 1-23 SECTION 2. This Act applies to the assertion of the 1-24 attorney-client privilege to protect disclosure of a communication 2-1 on or after the effective date of this Act without regard to 2-2 whether the communication was made before, on, or after that date. 2-3 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-9 passage, and it is so enacted.