By Brown                                         S.B. No. 768

      75R2399 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority of the supreme court to adopt rules

 1-3     relating to the contractual relationship between an attorney and

 1-4     client.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subtitle G, Title 2, Government Code, is amended

 1-7     by adding Chapter 84 to read as follows:

 1-8               CHAPTER 84.  RULES RELATING TO ATTORNEY'S FEES 

 1-9           Sec. 84.001.  CERTAIN RULES PROHIBITED.  The supreme court

1-10     may not adopt a rule that:

1-11                 (1)  interferes with an attorney's ability to contract

1-12     in the free market to provide legal services for a fee; or

1-13                 (2)  discourages competition among attorneys to provide

1-14     legal services at reasonable fees.

1-15           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-20     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-21     passage, and it is so enacted.