1-1 By: Cain S.B. No. 1863 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed April 13, 1999; April 14, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; 1-4 April 27, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 4, 1-5 Nays 0; April 27, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to voir dire requirements in civil actions. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Chapter 30, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is 1-11 amended by adding Section 30.006 to read as follows: 1-12 Sec. 30.006. VOIR DIRE REQUIREMENTS. (a) In this section, 1-13 "side" has the same meaning as in Rule 233, Texas Rules of Civil 1-14 Procedure, or its successor. 1-15 (b) In any civil action to be tried before a jury, the trial 1-16 court shall allow each side voir dire, as follows: 1-17 (1) in Level 1 cases, as defined by Rule 190.2, Texas 1-18 Rules of Civil Procedure, at least one hour; 1-19 (2) in Level 2 cases, as defined by Rule 190.3, Texas 1-20 Rules of Civil Procedure, at least two hours; and 1-21 (3) in Level 3 cases, as defined by Rule 190.4, Texas 1-22 Rules of Civil Procedure, at least three hours. 1-23 (c) The time allocated in Subsection (b) shall not include 1-24 time consumed in making preemptory challenges or challenges for 1-25 cause to jurors or in making or responding to objections. 1-26 (d) The supreme court may adopt rules consistent with the 1-27 provisions of this section. To the extent that any rule conflicts 1-28 with the provisions of this section, this section controls. 1-29 (e) Section 22.004, Government Code, does not apply to this 1-30 section. 1-31 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-32 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-33 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-34 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-35 days is hereby suspended, and that this Act take effect and be in 1-36 force from and after its passage, and it is so enacted. 1-37 * * * * *