84R9533 LED-D
By: Wray H.B. No. 2211
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to agreed venue selection in civil actions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 15.020(b) and (c), Civil Practice and
Remedies Code, are amended to read as follows:
(b) An action arising from a major transaction shall be
brought in a county if the party against whom the action is brought
has agreed in writing that a suit arising from the transaction may
be brought in that county. The parties to the action are not
required to establish that the county is a county of proper venue
under another provision of this chapter.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, an
action arising from a major transaction may not be brought in a
county if:
(1) the party bringing the action has agreed in
writing that an action arising from the transaction may not be
brought in that county, and the action may be brought in another
county of this state or in another jurisdiction; or
(2) the party bringing the action has agreed in
writing that an action arising from the transaction must be brought
in another county of this state or in another jurisdiction[, and the
action may be brought in that other county, under this section or
otherwise, or in that other jurisdiction].
SECTION 2. Section 15.063, Civil Practice and Remedies
Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 15.063. TRANSFER. (a) The court, on motion filed and
served concurrently with or before the filing of the answer, shall
transfer an action to another county of proper venue if:
(1) the county in which the action is pending is not a
proper county as provided by this chapter; or
(2) an impartial trial cannot be had in the county in
which the action is pending[; or
[(3) written consent of the parties to transfer to any
other county is filed at any time].
(b) The court, on a motion filed with the court at any time
before the trial commences, shall transfer the action to another
county if the written consent of all the parties to the transfer to
that county is filed with the motion. The parties to the action are
not required to establish that the county is a county of proper
venue under another provision of this chapter.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an action filed on or after the effective date of this Act. An
action filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by
the law applicable to the action immediately before the effective
date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.