Honorable John T. Smithee, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB969 by King, Ken (Relating to discovery of evidence of the net worth of a defendant in connection with a claim for exemplary damages.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Civil Practice and Remedies Code regarding the discovery of evidence of the net worth of a defendant in connection with a claim for exemplary damages. The bill would allow a court, after a motion and hearing, to authorize discovery of evidence related to a defendant's net worth only if the claimant could demonstrate a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of a claim for exemplary damages. Based on the analysis of the Office of Court Administration, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council