By Sadler                                             H.B. No. 3151
         76R8131 SRC-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to adoption of rules of civil procedure by the supreme
 1-3     court.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 22.004(b), Government Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  The supreme court from time to time may promulgate a
 1-8     specific rule or rules of civil procedure, or an amendment or
 1-9     amendments to a specific rule or rules.  A rule or amendment shall
1-10     take effect [, to be effective] at the time the supreme court deems
1-11     expedient in the interest of a proper administration of justice,
1-12     except that a rule or amendment may not take effect earlier than
1-13     July 1 of the odd-numbered year that follows adoption of the rule
1-14     or amendment.  The rules and amendments to rules remain in effect
1-15     unless and until disapproved by the legislature. The clerk of the
1-16     supreme court shall file with the secretary of state the rules or
1-17     amendments to rules promulgated by the supreme court under this
1-18     subsection and shall mail a copy of those rules or amendments to
1-19     rules to each registered member of the State Bar of Texas, and to
1-20     the chair of the legislative committee of each house that has
1-21     jurisdiction over the subject matter, not later than the 60th day
1-22     before the date on which they become effective.
1-23           SECTION 2.  The rules of civil procedure, and the repeals of
1-24     and amendments to existing rules of civil procedure, promulgated by
 2-1     the supreme court on August 4, 1998, to be effective January 1,
 2-2     1999, are disapproved.  The rules of civil procedure as they
 2-3     existed before January 1, 1999, are continued in effect until
 2-4     amended by order of the supreme court adopted on or after the
 2-5     effective date of this Act in accordance with Section 22.004(b),
 2-6     Government Code, as amended by this Act.  A rule or amendment
 2-7     adopted after the effective date of this Act may not take effect
 2-8     earlier than July 1, 2001.
 2-9           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-14     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-15     passage, and it is so enacted.