The House Committee on Civil Practices 
         77th Legislature 
         June 13, 2002 
         10:00 a.m. 
         Wyndham Anatole Hotel  
         Dallas, Texas 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted on May 17, 2002, the House Committee  
         on Civil Practices met in a public hearing at the Wyndham  
         Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, and was called to order by the  
         chair, Representative Bosse, at 10:25 a.m. in the Senator's  
         Lecture Hall. 
          
         The roll was answered as follows: 
          
         Present:  Representatives Bosse; Clark; Dutton; Hope; Martinez  
                   Fischer; Zbranek (6). 
          
         Absent:   Representatives Janek; Nixon, Joe; Smithee (3). 
          
         A quorum was present. 
          
         Chairman Bosse announced that the hearing would take testimony  
         on each interim charge beginning with invited witnesses and  
         followed by public testimony. 
          
              Charge 5:  Monitor the rule-making proceedings of the Texas  
         Supreme Court. 
          
         Invited testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         The issue was left pending without objection.  
          
              Charge 1:  Examine practices by courts and attorneys in  
         product liability cases that may be detrimental to public health  
         and safety. The review should include the sealing of records  
         that might assist the public in assessing the dangers of using a  
         product, agreements not to disclose information to the public or  
         regulatory agencies, and any other rules, practices or laws  
         deemed relevant by the committee. 
          
         Invited testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         The issue was left pending without objection.  
          
              Charge 2:  Examine changes over the last decade to the  
         civil justice system that affect the right of litigants  
         (citizens or businesses) to receive appropriate review by a  
         judicial body, including arbitration, mediation, other types of  
         alternative dispute resolution. 
         Invited testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         Public testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         The issue was left pending without objection.  
  
         The Committee members discussed packet information regarding  
         Charges 3 and 4, but no recommendations were made.  The Chairman  
         requested that any member with recommendations for any of the  
         Committee's charges should forward those to the committee clerk  
         by July 31, 2002. 
          
         At 12:47 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection,  
         the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair. 
          
         ________________________ 
         Rep. Bosse, Chair 
          
         ________________________ 
         Craig Chick, Clerk