By Duncan                                        S.B. No. 838

      75R7235 DAK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to authorizing the adoption of rules by the supreme court

 1-3     for the coordination or consolidation of pretrial proceedings in

 1-4     certain litigation.

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

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 74, Government Code, is

 1-7     amended by adding Section 74.0241 to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 74.0241.  RULES FOR COORDINATION OR CONSOLIDATION OF

 1-9     PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS IN CERTAIN LITIGATION.  (a)  The supreme court

1-10     may adopt rules authorizing the coordination or consolidation of

1-11     pretrial proceedings by the appointment of a judge authorized to

1-12     render binding pretrial orders effective across county lines in

1-13     suits brought in more than one county that involve similar material

1-14     questions of fact or law arising from the conduct by the same

1-15     defendant or defendants.

1-16           (b)  The rules shall provide that the appointment of a judge

1-17     as described by Subsection (a) is not subject to a strike by any

1-18     party in a suit subject to coordination or consolidation.

1-19           SECTION 2.  This Act applies only to a suit filed on or after

1-20     the effective date of this Act.  A suit filed before the effective

1-21     date of this Act is governed by the law applicable to the suit

1-22     immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is

1-23     continued in effect for that purpose.

1-24           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-5     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-6     passage, and it is so enacted.