1-1 By: Whitmire S.B. No. 1176 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1997; March 17, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; 1-4 April 3, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, 1-5 Nays 0; April 3, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the validity of certain devises or bequests. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Chapter IV, Texas Probate Code, is amended by 1-11 adding Section 58b to read as follows: 1-12 Sec. 58b. DEVISES AND BEQUESTS THAT ARE VOID. (a) A devise 1-13 or bequest of property in a will to an attorney who prepares or 1-14 supervises the preparation of the will or a devise or bequest of 1-15 property in a will to an heir or employee of the attorney who 1-16 prepares or supervises the preparation of the will is void. 1-17 (b) This section does not apply to a bequest made to a 1-18 person who is related within the second degree by consanguinity or 1-19 affinity to the testator. 1-20 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 1-21 applies only to a will executed on or after that date. A will 1-22 executed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the 1-23 law in effect on the date the will was executed, and that law is 1-24 continued in effect for that purpose. 1-25 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-28 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-29 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-30 * * * * *