BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2950

By: Smith

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Texas has a Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL), appointed by the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Current law allows the MDL panel to transfer multiple cases having a common question of fact to a single court for consolidated pretrial proceedings, which leads to efficient pretrial proceedings. H.B. 2950 provides for transfer of legally related cases in addition to factually related cases and revises the composition and designating authorities of the MDL panel.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2950 amends the Government Code to change the designating authorities of the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation from the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court to all justices of the supreme court. The bill includes former or retired justices of the courts of appeals among the persons eligible for membership on the panel. The bill authorizes the panel to transfer civil actions involving one or more common questions of law. The bill provides for the application of its provisions only to an action commenced on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.