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Amend HB 1951 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered ARTICLE to the bill and renumbering existing ARTICLES of the bill accordingly:

ARTICLE ____. APPRAISALS UNDER PROPERTY INSURANCE POLICIES

SECTION ____.001. Subchapter B, Chapter 542, Insurance Code, is amended by adding Section 542.063 to read as follows:

Sec. 542.063. APPRAISALS. (a) A request for appraisal with respect to a claim under a property insurance policy shall not stay court proceedings during the appraisal process.

(b) A decision resulting from the appraisal process under a property insurance policy is binding only as to the amount of loss. An appraisal may not be used to determine liability issues such as coverage, causation, or conditions or limits imposed by the policy. The appraisal decision does not affect any other remedy available at law.

SECTION ____.002. The heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 542, Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER B. PROMPT PAYMENT OF CLAIMS; APPRAISALS

SECTION ____.003. Section 542.063, Insurance Code, as added by this article, applies only to a dispute that arises on or after the effective date of this Act. A dispute that arises before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.