Editor’s note: State lawmakers of the 82nd Texas Legislature are heading home after spending 170 days in Austin from January through June — 140 days in the regular session and 30 days in the special session. Legislators avoided staying for a second special session when they met their June 29 deadline to pass important bills to balance the state budget, cut education spending, reform the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and more. The following are bills of interest to lawyers. The scorecard shows the latest action on each bill as of Texas Lawyer’s presstime.
Civil Practice
H.B. 274: Directs the Texas Supreme Court to make rules for courts to dismiss meritless suits before hearing evidence on the claims and award attorney’s fees to prevailing parties after rulings on those motions to dismiss. The bill revises the cap for plaintiffs and defendants on awards of attorneys’ fees in some cases after a plaintiff rejects a defendant’s offer of settlement. It calls for new rules to expedite claims under $100,000, expands orders subject to interlocutory appeals and changes law on responsible third-party practice.
