S.B. No. 2031
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to requiring legislative consent or approval of the
  settlement or compromise of a claim or action against the state that
  will involve state expenditures exceeding a certain amount.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 5, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 111 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 111. LIMITATION ON SETTLEMENT
  OF CLAIM OR ACTION AGAINST THE STATE
         Sec. 111.001.  PURPOSE; APPLICABILITY. (a)  The purposes of
  this chapter include providing a means for the legislature to
  determine the extent to which this state waives its sovereign
  immunity with regard to a settlement of a claim or action against
  the state that requires an expenditure of state funds.
         (b)  This chapter applies to any settlement described by
  Section 111.003(a) of a claim or action against this state seeking
  any relief under any theory of recovery, including a mandamus
  action against a state officer or official, that is brought or may
  be brought in or before any court, administrative agency, or other
  tribunal.
         (c)  For purposes of this chapter, a reference to this state
  includes any agency, institution, or other entity of state
  government.
         (d)  This chapter does not apply to a refund of a tax, fee, or
  any related penalty or interest.
         Sec. 111.002.  DEFINITION. In this chapter, "settlement"
  includes a consent decree, an agreed judgment, or any other
  settlement or compromise of a claim or action.
         Sec. 111.003.  LIMITATION ON SETTLEMENT WITHOUT LEGISLATIVE
  CONSENT OR APPROVAL.  (a)  The attorney general or other attorney
  representing this state may not enter into a settlement of a claim
  or action against this state without the consent or approval of the
  legislature in accordance with this chapter if the settlement:
               (1)  requires this state to pay total monetary damages
  in an amount that exceeds $25,000,000 in a state fiscal biennium; or
               (2)  commits this state to a course of action that in
  reasonable probability will entail a continuing increased
  expenditure of state funds over subsequent state fiscal bienniums.
         (b)  A settlement described by Subsection (a) entered into
  without the prior consent or approval of the legislature is void
  unless the settlement is expressly conditioned on obtaining
  subsequent approval by the legislature in accordance with this
  chapter.
         Sec. 111.004.  FORM OF CONSENT OR APPROVAL.  (a)  The
  legislature may consent to or approve a settlement described by
  Section 111.003(a) only by a resolution adopted by both houses of
  the legislature.
         (b)  Legislative consent under this chapter may but is not
  required to be expressed in the form of a resolution granting
  permission to sue the state that limits the relief to which a
  claimant may be entitled or provides additional conditions to which
  a grant of permission to sue is subject.
         Sec. 111.005.  APPROPRIATIONS.  (a)  An appropriation of
  state funds to pay or comply with a settlement does not constitute
  consent to or approval of the settlement for purposes of this
  chapter.
         (b)  A resolution consenting to or approving a settlement
  under this chapter does not and may not require the legislature to
  appropriate a particular amount for a particular purpose.
         Sec. 111.006.  REPORT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL.  Not later than
  September 1 of each even-numbered year, the attorney general shall
  send to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
  representatives, and each member of the Senate Finance Committee
  and the House Appropriations Committee a report describing each
  claim or action pending as of September 1 of that year that has been
  or that in the opinion of the attorney general may be settled in a
  manner that will require prior consent or subsequent approval by
  the legislature under this chapter.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 111, Civil Practice and Remedies Code,
  as added by this Act, applies only to a consent decree, agreed
  judgment, or other settlement or compromise of a claim or action
  entered into on or after the effective date of this Act.  A consent
  decree, agreed judgment, or other settlement or compromise of a
  claim or action entered into before the effective date of this Act
  is governed by applicable law in existence on the date the consent
  decree, agreed judgment, or other settlement or compromise is
  entered into.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2031 passed the Senate on
  May 7, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3; and that the
  Senate concurred in House amendment on May 25, 2007, by the
  following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2031 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 23, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 140,
  Nays 1, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor