By Hilbert H.B. No. 2476 75R6636 MWV-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the attorney-client communication privilege. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 30, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 30.011 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 30.011. ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE. (a) The 1-7 attorney-client confidentiality privilege extends to a 1-8 communication between an attorney and a representative of a client 1-9 if the client: 1-10 (1) is an individual and the representative is a 1-11 person who has authority to: 1-12 (A) obtain legal advice for the client; or 1-13 (B) act on the legal advice rendered to the 1-14 client; or 1-15 (2) is not an individual and the representative is: 1-16 (A) a partner, officer, director, or employee of 1-17 the client who has authority to: 1-18 (i) obtain legal advice for the client; or 1-19 (ii) act on the legal advice rendered to 1-20 the client; or 1-21 (B) a subordinate employee or agent of the 1-22 client who is directed by a superior partner, officer, director, 1-23 employee, or agent of the client to communicate with the attorney 1-24 in connection with obtaining legal advice for the client regarding 2-1 a matter that is within the scope of the employee's or agent's 2-2 duties. 2-3 (b) In this section, the term "agent" does not include an 2-4 independent contractor. 2-5 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 2-6 applies to a communication occurring on or after that date. A 2-7 communication occurring before the effective date of this Act is 2-8 governed by the law that existed immediately before the effective 2-9 date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that 2-10 purpose. 2-11 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.