By: Smith (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 2950
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 14, 2021;
  May 14, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Jurisprudence; May 21, 2021, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 21, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the composition of and actions transferred by the
  judicial panel on multidistrict litigation.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 74.161(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The judicial panel on multidistrict litigation consists
  of five members designated from time to time by the [chief justice
  of the] supreme court.  The members of the panel must be active,
  former, or retired court of appeals justices or active
  administrative judges.
         SECTION 2.  Section 74.1625(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  Notwithstanding any other law, the judicial panel on
  multidistrict litigation may not transfer:
               (1)  an action brought by the consumer protection
  division of the attorney general's office under Subchapter E,
  Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code[, except an action
  specifically authorized by Section 17.50 of that code]; or
               (2)  an action brought under Chapter 36, Human
  Resources Code.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an action commenced on or after the effective date of this Act. An
  action commenced before the effective date of this Act is governed
  by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this
  Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  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, 2021.
 
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