By Telford                                            H.B. No. 3081
         76R6303 DAK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to preventing the seizure of a work of fine art when en
 1-3     route to or from or in an exhibition.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 61, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
 1-7                      SUBCHAPTER E.  WORKS OF FINE ART
 1-8           Sec. 61.081.  EXEMPTION WHEN EN ROUTE TO OR FROM OR IN AN
 1-9     EXHIBITION.  (a)  A court may not issue and a person may not serve
1-10     any process of attachment, execution, sequestration, replevin, or
1-11     distress, or of any kind of seizure, levy, or sale on a work of
1-12     fine art while it is:
1-13                 (1)  en route to or from an exhibition; or
1-14                 (2)  in the possession of the exhibitor or on display
1-15     as part of the exhibition.
1-16           (b)  In this section, "exhibition" means an exhibition:
1-17                 (1)  held under the auspices or supervision of:
1-18                       (A)  a museum;
1-19                       (B)  a public or private institution of higher
1-20     education; or
1-21                       (C)  a nonprofit art gallery or other
1-22     organization or institution;
1-23                 (2)  held for a cultural, educational, or charitable
1-24     purpose; and
 2-1                 (3)  not held for the profit of the exhibitor.
 2-2           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-7     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-8     passage, and it is so enacted.