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.