By: Duncan, Fraser S.B. No. 598
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to actions regarding certain computer date failures.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. (a) Whereas, in the early
1-4 years of the computer and information technology industries,
1-5 programmers adopted conventions to use limited and expensive
1-6 computer memory and computer processing capacity as efficiently as
1-7 possible. Among those conventions was the widely adopted
1-8 representation of years by the last two digits of the year.
1-9 Programmers and designers of products containing computer
1-10 processors continued to use this convention for a variety of
1-11 reasons, including compatibility with existing products and
1-12 databases, the desire to save expenses by adapting existing
1-13 programs to new uses, and the anticipation that computers,
1-14 programs, and products would be replaced as outdated or obsolete
1-15 before 2000.
1-16 (b) Whereas, many computers, computer products, and computer
1-17 services are and will be unable to distinguish or process properly
1-18 dates with years beginning with 2000. That inability affects and
1-19 will affect the proper functioning of those computers, computer
1-20 products, and computer services and the ability of those products
1-21 to accurately process, store, receive, transmit, or in any way use
1-22 dates or date data, which is commonly referred to as the "Year
1-23 2000" or "Y2K" problem.
1-24 (c) Whereas, the economy of this state and the economic
2-1 well-being of its citizens have become increasingly dependent on
2-2 information technology and on the use, manufacture, and sale of
2-3 computers, computer products, and computer services.
2-4 (d) Whereas, the response by this state, its citizens, and
2-5 enterprises doing business in this state to the Year 2000 problem
2-6 will determine whether it disrupts substantially the state's
2-7 economy, causes significant or severe economic dislocation among
2-8 consumers, employees, and employers in this state, and impairs the
2-9 ability of state and local governments to provide services and to
2-10 protect and promote the safety and well-being of their citizens.
2-11 (e) Whereas, adverse consequences of the Year 2000 problem
2-12 to the state, its economy, and its citizens can be avoided or
2-13 minimized if users, sellers, manufacturers, and providers of
2-14 computers, computer products, and computer services all act to
2-15 identify problems and to develop and implement solutions before
2-16 harm occurs.
2-17 (f) Whereas, if harm occurs, the state and the well-being of
2-18 its citizens would be best served by prompt resolution of disputes.
2-19 Many disputes can be resolved through the early use of informal,
2-20 nonadversarial dispute resolution techniques. Litigation can be
2-21 expensive and prolonged for the parties and for the courts of the
2-22 state and its political subdivisions and should be used only as a
2-23 last resort if other efforts fail to resolve the dispute to the
2-24 mutual satisfaction of the parties.
2-25 (g) Therefore, this Act adopts reasonable and necessary
2-26 measures to protect and advance the interests of this state, the
3-1 well-being of its citizens, and the health of its economy.
3-2 (h) Further, the purposes of this Act are:
3-3 (1) to protect and promote the well-being of the
3-4 citizens of this state, the health of the state's economy, and the
3-5 ability of state and local governments to provide services by
3-6 avoiding or mitigating the adverse consequences that may result
3-7 from the Year 2000 problem;
3-8 (2) to establish legal incentives that encourage
3-9 users, sellers, manufacturers, and providers of computers, computer
3-10 products, and computer services to identify Year 2000 problems
3-11 early, develop and implement solutions before harm occurs, and
3-12 resolve disputes promptly;
3-13 (3) to encourage parties to resolve disputes through
3-14 informal, nonadversarial means before litigation;
3-15 (4) to discourage litigation or the threat of
3-16 litigation based on speculative theories of recovery or seeking
3-17 damages that are not objectively verifiable, which burdens the
3-18 judicial system and depletes or diverts financial and human
3-19 resources that could be used more productively to solve Year 2000
3-20 problems; and
3-21 (5) to preserve the rights of the citizens of this
3-22 state to seek damages for bodily injury and wrongful death by
3-23 excluding those actions from the scope of this legislation.
3-24 SECTION 2. Title 6, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is
3-25 amended by adding Chapter 147 to read as follows:
4-1 CHAPTER 147. YEAR 2000 COMPUTER DATE FAILURE
4-2 SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
4-3 Sec. 147.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
4-4 (1) "Action" means a cause of action to which this
4-5 chapter applies.
4-6 (2) "Claimant" means a party seeking recovery of
4-7 damages, including a plaintiff, counterclaimant, cross-claimant, or
4-8 third-party plaintiff.
4-9 (3) "Computer product" means a computer, computer
4-10 network, computer program, computer software, computer system,
4-11 microprocessor, embedded computer chip, semiconductor device, any
4-12 component of any of those items, or a product that includes any of
4-13 those items as a component of the product.
4-14 (4) "Computer service product" means the product of
4-15 the use of a computer, including uses related to data processing
4-16 and storage. The term includes information stored in the computer
4-17 by personnel supporting the computer.
4-18 (5) "Defendant" means a party from whom a claimant
4-19 seeks recovery of damages, including a counterdefendant,
4-20 cross-defendant, or third-party defendant.
4-21 (6) "Good faith" means honesty in fact in the conduct
4-22 or transaction concerned.
4-23 (7) "Recent consumer product" means a mass-marketed
4-24 computer product, intended by the seller to be used for personal,
4-25 family, or household purposes or by small businesses, that will
4-26 manifest a computer date failure during its normal use and was last
5-1 offered for sale by the manufacturer after January 1, 1997, and in
5-2 the case of software, was offered for a retail price of $300 or
5-3 less. The term does not include customized products.
5-4 (8) "Small business" means a legal entity, including a
5-5 sole proprietorship, that:
5-6 (A) is formed for the purpose of making a
5-7 profit;
5-8 (B) is independently owned and operated; and
5-9 (C) has fewer than 100 employees or less than $1
5-10 million in annual gross receipts.
5-11 (9) "Year 2000 Project Office website" means the Texas
5-12 Year 2000 Project Office website administered by the Department of
5-13 Information Resources. The Internet address of the website is
5-14 www.dir.state.tx.us/y2k.
5-15 Sec. 147.002. ACTION FOR COMPUTER DATE FAILURE. Subject to
5-16 Section 147.004 and regardless of the legal theory, statute, or
5-17 cause of action on which the action is based, including an action
5-18 based in tort, contract, or breach of an express or implied
5-19 warranty, this chapter applies only to an action in which a
5-20 claimant seeks recovery of damages or any other relief for harm
5-21 caused by:
5-22 (1) a computer date failure as described by Section
5-23 147.003; or
5-24 (2) the failure to properly detect, disclose, prevent,
5-25 report, correct, cure, or remediate a computer date failure as
5-26 described by Section 147.003.
6-1 Sec. 147.003. COMPUTER DATE FAILURE. A computer date
6-2 failure is the inability to correctly process, recognize, store,
6-3 receive, transmit, or in any way use date data:
6-4 (1) referring to the year 2000 or affected by the
6-5 transition between the 20th and 21st century or between 1999 and
6-6 2000; or
6-7 (2) with years expressed in a two-digit or four-digit
6-8 format.
6-9 Sec. 147.004. APPLICABILITY. This chapter does not apply to
6-10 an action:
6-11 (1) for death or bodily injury;
6-12 (2) to collect workers' compensation benefits under
6-13 the workers' compensation laws of this state; or
6-14 (3) to enforce the terms of a written agreement, or to
6-15 seek contractual remedies for breach of a written agreement, that
6-16 specifically provides for liability and damages for a computer date
6-17 failure.
6-18 Sec. 147.005. DUTY OR ACTION NOT CREATED. (a) This chapter
6-19 does not create a duty.
6-20 (b) This chapter does not create a cause of action.
6-21 Sec. 147.006. IMMUNITY NOT AFFECTED. This chapter does not
6-22 expand or limit the immunity of a person under any other law or
6-23 statute providing immunity.
6-24 Sec. 147.007. INSURANCE COVERAGE NOT AFFECTED. This chapter
6-25 does not affect the coverage or benefits of parties under a
6-26 contract of insurance.
7-1 Sec. 147.008. SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY NOT WAIVED. This chapter
7-2 does not waive sovereign immunity of the state or of a political
7-3 subdivision of the state.
7-4 Sec. 147.009. MANUFACTURER'S DUTY TO INDEMNIFY. This
7-5 chapter does not relieve a manufacturer from the obligation, if
7-6 any, to indemnify a seller for losses arising out of a product
7-7 liability action for property damage under Section 82.002, subject
7-8 to any defenses the manufacturer could have asserted at the time
7-9 the action was filed.
7-10 (Sections 147.010-147.040 reserved for expansion
7-11 SUBCHAPTER B. PREREQUISITES TO BRINGING ACTION
7-12 Sec. 147.041. LIMITATIONS PERIOD. (a) An action must be
7-13 brought not later than two years after the date the computer date
7-14 failure first caused the harm that is the subject matter of the
7-15 action.
7-16 (b) This section does not extend the limitations period
7-17 within which an action for harm caused by a computer date failure
7-18 may be commenced under any other law or revive a claim that is
7-19 barred by the operation of any other law.
7-20 Sec. 147.042. REPOSE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection
7-21 (b), a claimant must commence an action against a manufacturer or
7-22 seller of a computer product or computer service product before the
7-23 end of 15 years after the date of the sale by the defendant. If
7-24 the computer product which caused the computer date failure is a
7-25 component of another product and if the product and computer
7-26 product were sold at different times, the 15-year period begins to
8-1 run on the date the defendant sold the computer product.
8-2 (b) If a manufacturer or seller expressly represented that
8-3 the computer product or computer service product would not manifest
8-4 the computer date failure, this section does not apply.
8-5 (c) This section does not reduce a limitations period that
8-6 applies to an action that accrues before the end of the limitations
8-7 period under this section.
8-8 (d) This section does not extend the limitations period
8-9 within which an action may be commenced under any other law.
8-10 Sec. 147.043. DISABILITY. Section 16.001 applies to the
8-11 periods of limitation and repose established by this subchapter.
8-12 Sec. 147.044. NOTICE. (a) A claimant may not commence an
8-13 action unless the claimant gave notice to the defendant before the
8-14 60th day preceding the date the action commences.
8-15 (b) If the 60-day notice requirement under Subsection (a)
8-16 would prevent commencing the action before the expiration of the
8-17 period of limitation or repose, the claimant must give notice to
8-18 the defendant before the 31st day after the date the action
8-19 commences.
8-20 (c) If the action is a counterclaim, cross-claim, or
8-21 third-party action, the claimant must give notice to the defendant
8-22 before the 31st day after the date of service on the defendant.
8-23 (d) The notice must:
8-24 (1) be in writing;
8-25 (2) identify the claimant;
8-26 (3) describe in reasonable detail the computer date
9-1 failure and the harm caused by the failure; and
9-2 (4) include a specific statement of the amount of the
9-3 damages claimed or the remedy sought.
9-4 Sec. 147.045. NOTICE STAYS PROCEEDINGS. All proceedings in
9-5 the action are stayed for 60 days following the date the defendant
9-6 received the notice under Section 147.044.
9-7 Sec. 147.046. FAILURE TO GIVE NOTICE. (a) On motion of the
9-8 defendant that the claimant did not give the notice under Section
9-9 147.044, the court shall:
9-10 (1) abate the action; and
9-11 (2) require the claimant to give the notice before the
9-12 31st day after the date of the order of abatement.
9-13 (b) The court shall dismiss the claimant's action if the
9-14 claimant does not give notice as required by Subsection (a)(2).
9-15 Sec. 147.047. INSPECTION. (a) A person receiving notice
9-16 under Section 147.044 may inspect a computer product or computer
9-17 service product that is subject to the claimant's control to assess
9-18 the nature, scope, and consequences of the computer date failure.
9-19 (b) The inspection must be conducted in a reasonable manner
9-20 and at a reasonable time and place.
9-21 Sec. 147.048. OFFER TO SETTLE. (a) A defendant receiving
9-22 notice under Section 147.044 may offer to settle the claim. The
9-23 offer may include an offer to cure or correct the computer date
9-24 failure.
9-25 (b) The offer must be accepted by the claimant not later
9-26 than the 30th day after the date the offer is made or the offer is
10-1 rejected.
10-2 (c) A defendant may file a rejected offer to settle with the
10-3 court with an affidavit certifying its rejection.
10-4 (d) If the court finds that the amount tendered in a
10-5 rejected offer to settle filed with the court is the same as,
10-6 substantially the same as, or more than the damages found by the
10-7 trier of fact, the claimant may not recover any amount in excess of
10-8 the lesser of:
10-9 (1) the amount of damages tendered in the settlement
10-10 offer; or
10-11 (2) the amount of damages found by the trier of fact.
10-12 (e) Subsection (d) does not apply if the court finds that
10-13 the defendant making the offer:
10-14 (1) could not perform the offer when the offer was
10-15 made; or
10-16 (2) substantially misrepresented the value of the
10-17 offer.
10-18 (f) In this section, the term "damages" does not include
10-19 attorney's fees or litigation expenses.
10-20 (Sections 147.049-147.080 reserved for expansion
10-21 SUBCHAPTER C. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO LIABILITY
10-22 Sec. 147.081. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE: NOTICE TO CURE OR
10-23 CORRECT. (a) It is an affirmative defense to liability in an
10-24 action if:
10-25 (1) the claimant was notified in the manner provided
10-26 by Section 147.082 that the computer product or computer service
11-1 product may manifest computer date failure;
11-2 (2) the claimant was offered a cure or correction for
11-3 the computer date failure; and
11-4 (3) the offered cure or correction would have avoided
11-5 the harm to the claimant caused by the computer date failure.
11-6 (b) In addition to the requirement of Subsection (a), to
11-7 establish the affirmative defense provided by this section:
11-8 (1) if the claimant's action involves a recent
11-9 consumer product, the defendant must prove that the charge, if any,
11-10 for the cure or correction did not exceed the reasonable charges
11-11 for the delivery and installation of the product or items needed to
11-12 cure or correct the computer date failure; or
11-13 (2) if the claimant's action involves a computer
11-14 product or computer service product that is not a recent consumer
11-15 product, the defendant must prove that the charge, if any, for the
11-16 cure or correction did not exceed the reasonable and necessary
11-17 costs to develop, produce, deliver, and install the product or
11-18 items needed to cure or correct the computer date failure.
11-19 (c) If the cure or correction described by Subsection (a) is
11-20 designed to cure or correct a computer date failure for only a
11-21 limited period of time, that cure or correction does not entitle a
11-22 person to a defense to liability for harm caused by the computer
11-23 date failure after the period of time expires.
11-24 Sec. 147.082. NOTICE. (a) Notice under Section 147.081
11-25 must:
11-26 (1) identify the computer product or computer service
12-1 product that manifests or may manifest a computer date failure;
12-2 (2) explain how a cure or correction to the computer
12-3 product or computer service product may be obtained;
12-4 (3) state that there is no additional charge for the
12-5 cure or correction other than reasonable and customary charges for
12-6 delivering and installing the product or items needed to make the
12-7 cure, if any, to obtain the cure or correction; and
12-8 (4) inform the recipient that the solution is offered
12-9 to avoid harm to the recipient and that offering the cure or
12-10 correction could affect the recipient's right to recover damages.
12-11 (b) Notice under Section 147.081 must be received by the
12-12 claimant before the beginning of the longer of the following
12-13 periods:
12-14 (1) the 90th day before the date the claimant suffers
12-15 harm from the computer date failure; or
12-16 (2) the time needed to order, deliver, and install the
12-17 correction to the product or service before the claimant suffers
12-18 harm from the computer date failure.
12-19 (c) The defendant may satisfy the notice requirement under
12-20 Section 147.081 by showing that:
12-21 (1) the defendant delivered notice within the period
12-22 provided by this section; or
12-23 (2) the claimant actually received notice within the
12-24 period provided by this section.
12-25 (d) There is a rebuttable presumption that notice has been
12-26 delivered to a claimant if the Year 2000 Project Office website or
13-1 toll-free telephone number established under Section 147.083(e)
13-2 provides access to information from which a person may obtain the
13-3 information required by this section relating to a cure or
13-4 correction for the computer date failure. The presumption may be
13-5 rebutted by credible evidence that the claimant did not receive
13-6 notice.
13-7 Sec. 147.083. NOTICE ON YEAR 2000 PROJECT OFFICE WEBSITE.
13-8 (a) A person who provides information to the Year 2000 Project
13-9 Office website to satisfy the requirements of Section 147.082 is
13-10 responsible for the accuracy of the person's information posted on
13-11 the website.
13-12 (b) A person is not subject to the jurisdiction of the
13-13 courts of this state solely on the basis that the person has
13-14 provided information for posting on the Year 2000 Project Office
13-15 website.
13-16 (c) The state is not liable for any damages arising from its
13-17 Year 2000-related activities conducted by the Department of
13-18 Information Resources, including:
13-19 (1) operation of the Year 2000 Project Office website;
13-20 (2) reliance on the accuracy of the information on the
13-21 Year 2000 Project Office website; or
13-22 (3) operation and management of the toll-free
13-23 telephone number established in accordance with Subsection (e).
13-24 (d) The Department of Information Resources in its Year 2000
13-25 Project Office website shall provide for the posting of information
13-26 and the creating of links to other websites to facilitate the
14-1 posting of notice.
14-2 (e) The Department of Information Resources shall establish
14-3 a toll-free telephone number for persons who are unable to access
14-4 the Internet to provide to those persons information relating to a
14-5 cure or correction for computer date failure posted on or linked to
14-6 the Year 2000 Project Office website. The Department of
14-7 Information Resources may establish the toll-free telephone number
14-8 either in cooperation with the General Services Commission or by
14-9 contracting with a private vendor.
14-10 (f) Any contracts for goods or services between the
14-11 Department of Information Resources and private vendors that may be
14-12 necessary or appropriate to the fulfillment of the requirements of
14-13 this section are exempt from the requirements of Subtitle D, Title
14-14 10, Government Code. If the Department of Information Resources
14-15 elects to contract with one or more private vendors, the vendors
14-16 have no greater liability to third parties for their actions than
14-17 the state would have had if it had provided the goods and services
14-18 directly.
14-19 Sec. 147.084. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE: RELIANCE. (a) In an
14-20 action for fraud, misrepresentation, disparagement, libel, or other
14-21 similar action based on the alleged falsity or misleading character
14-22 of a computer date statement or an express warranty, it is an
14-23 affirmative defense to liability that:
14-24 (1) the defendant reasonably relied on the computer
14-25 date statement or express warranty of an independent, upstream
14-26 manufacturer or seller of the computer product or computer service
15-1 product that the computer product or computer service product would
15-2 not manifest computer date failure;
15-3 (2) the statement was false or misleading; and
15-4 (3) the defendant did not have actual knowledge that
15-5 the statement or warranty was false or misleading.
15-6 (b) In this section, "computer date statement" means a
15-7 material statement about a computer product or computer service
15-8 product regarding the present or future ability of a computer
15-9 product in relation to avoiding computer date failure, including a
15-10 statement that a computer product or computer service product:
15-11 (1) is "Year 2000 Compliant" or a similar
15-12 representation; or
15-13 (2) complies with a computer date standard established
15-14 by a state or federal regulatory agency or by a national or
15-15 international standards organization.
15-16 Sec. 147.085. ADMISSIBILITY OF STATEMENT RELATING TO
15-17 COMPUTER DATE FAILURE. (a) The following are not admissible to
15-18 prove liability for computer date failure:
15-19 (1) an offer to settle under Section 147.048;
15-20 (2) notice required under Section 147.081(a)(1);
15-21 (3) except as provided by Subsection (b), evidence of
15-22 furnishing or offering or promising to furnish a correction or cure
15-23 for a present or future computer date failure; or
15-24 (4) except as provided by Subsection (c), a statement
15-25 made in the process of correcting, curing, or attempting to correct
15-26 or cure a present or future computer date failure.
16-1 (b) Evidence of furnishing or offering or promising to
16-2 furnish a correction or cure for a present or future computer date
16-3 failure is admissible to the extent it is evidence of a guarantee
16-4 or warranty of the correction or cure and the claim is for breach
16-5 of the guarantee or warranty.
16-6 (c) A statement made in the process of correcting, curing,
16-7 or attempting to correct or cure a present or future computer date
16-8 failure is admissible if:
16-9 (1) the statement is false;
16-10 (2) the statement is made with knowledge that it is
16-11 false; and
16-12 (3) the claimant relied on the statement to the
16-13 claimant's detriment.
16-14 (Sections 147.086-147.120 reserved for expansion
16-15 SUBCHAPTER D. DAMAGES
16-16 Sec. 147.121. DAMAGE LIMITATIONS APPLY ONLY IF DEFENDANT
16-17 SHOWS GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO CURE OR CORRECT. The limitations on the
16-18 recovery of damages established by Section 147.122 apply to a
16-19 claimant only if the defendant can show a good faith effort to
16-20 cure, correct, avoid, or mitigate the claimant's possible computer
16-21 date failure problem.
16-22 Sec. 147.122. DAMAGES NOT RECOVERABLE. (a) Subject to
16-23 Section 147.121, a claimant may not recover the following damages
16-24 in an action:
16-25 (1) damages for mental anguish, loss of consortium, or
16-26 loss of companionship;
17-1 (2) exemplary or punitive damages unless the claimant
17-2 proves by clear and convincing evidence that the conduct of the
17-3 defendant was committed with fraud or malice;
17-4 (3) additional damages under Section 17.50(b)(1),
17-5 Business & Commerce Code, unless the trier of fact finds the
17-6 conduct of the defendant was committed with fraud or malice; or
17-7 (4) consequential damages, unless they were reasonably
17-8 foreseeable.
17-9 (b) In this section:
17-10 (1) "Fraud" means fraud other than constructive fraud.
17-11 (2) "Malice" means a specific intent by the defendant
17-12 to cause substantial injury to the claimant.
17-13 Sec. 147.123. MITIGATION OF DAMAGES. (a) In an action to
17-14 which Chapter 33 applies, the court shall instruct the finder of
17-15 fact regarding the determination of responsibility pursuant to
17-16 Section 33.003 using the appropriate approved pattern jury charge
17-17 which may be modified by the court as appropriate to the
17-18 circumstances.
17-19 (b) In all actions not governed by Subsection (a), the court
17-20 shall instruct the finder of fact regarding a claimant's duty to
17-21 mitigate or avoid damages in a manner appropriate to the action
17-22 using the appropriate approved pattern jury charge which may be
17-23 modified by the court as appropriate to the circumstances.
17-24 SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 101, Civil Practice and
17-25 Remedies Code, is amended by adding Section 101.066 to read as
17-26 follows:
18-1 Sec. 101.066. COMPUTER DATE FAILURE. This chapter does not
18-2 apply to a claim for property damage caused by a computer date
18-3 failure as described by Section 147.003.
18-4 SECTION 4. Chapter 108, Civil Practices and Remedies Code,
18-5 is amended by adding Section 108.004 to read as follows:
18-6 Sec. 108.004. COMPUTER DATE FAILURE. Except in an action
18-7 arising under the constitution or laws of the United States, a
18-8 public servant is not personally liable for property damages caused
18-9 by a computer date failure as described by Section 147.003.
18-10 SECTION 5. The Department of Information Resources shall
18-11 perform its duties under Subsections (d) and (e), Section 147.083,
18-12 Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as added by this Act, before the
18-13 31st day after the effective date of this Act.
18-14 SECTION 6. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
18-15 section, this Act applies only to a civil action commenced on or
18-16 after the effective date of this Act. Except as provided by
18-17 Subsection (b) of this section, an action commenced before the
18-18 effective date of this Act is governed with respect to the subject
18-19 matter of this Act by the applicable law in effect immediately
18-20 before that date, and that law is continued in effect for that
18-21 purpose.
18-22 (b) Sections 147.041 and 147.042, Civil Practice and
18-23 Remedies Code, as added by this Act, apply only to an action
18-24 commenced on or after September 1, 1999. An action commenced
18-25 before September 1, 1999, is governed with respect to the subject
18-26 matter of Sections 147.041 and 147.042, Civil Practice and Remedies
19-1 Code, as added by this Act, by the applicable law in effect
19-2 immediately before September 1, 1999, and that law is continued in
19-3 effect for that purpose.
19-4 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
19-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
19-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
19-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
19-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
19-9 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
19-10 passage, and it is so enacted.