78R1177 DAK-D

By:  Dutton                                                       H.B. No. 375



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to limiting the award of attorney's fees by a justice 
court.       
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 27, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 27.035 to read as follows:
	Sec. 27.035.  LIMITATION ON AWARD OF ATTORNEY'S FEES. (a)  A 
justice court may not award attorney's fees in any civil action in 
an amount greater than $500.
	(b)  This section does not authorize an award of attorney's 
fees.     
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003, and 
applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after that 
date.  An action that accrued before the effective date of this Act 
is governed by the law applicable to the action immediately before 
the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect 
for that purpose.