1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the civil liability of certain persons for a child's
1-3 conduct.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 41.002, Family Code, is amended to read
1-6 as follows:
1-7 Sec. 41.002. LIMIT OF DAMAGES. Recovery for damage caused by
1-8 wilful and malicious conduct is limited to actual damages, not to
1-9 exceed $25,000 [$15,000] per occurrence, plus court costs and
1-10 reasonable attorney's fees.
1-11 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and
1-12 applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after that
1-13 date. A cause of action that accrued before the effective date of
1-14 this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the cause of
1-15 action accrued, and that law is continued in effect for that
1-16 purpose.
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.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2531 was passed by the House on April
25, 1997, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2531 was passed by the Senate on May
22, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor