The House Committee on Civil Practices 
         77th Legislature 
         April 3, 2002 
         10:00 a.m. 
         Capitol Extension 
                                 CORRECTED MINUTES 
                                           
         On June 13, 2002, the House Committee on Civil Practices  
         authorized the correction of the  minutes for the meeting of the  
         House Committee on Civil Practices held on April 3, 2002. The  
         following are the corrected minutes for that meeting: 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted on March 26, 2002, the House  
         Committee on Civil Practices met in a public hearing and was  
         called to order by the chair, Representative Bosse, at 10:18  
         a.m. 
          
         The roll was answered as follows: 
          
         Present:  Representatives Bosse; Clark; Dutton; Hope; Smithee  
                   (5). 
          
         Absent:   Representatives Janek; Martinez Fischer; Nixon, Joe;  
                   Zbranek (4). 
          
         A quorum was present. 
          
         Chairman Bosse announced that the Committee would try to hold  
         the next interim hearing on June 13th in Dallas at the State Bar  
         Convention. 
          
         Chairman Bosse also announced that the hearing would take each  
         topic in order of interim charge starting with invited witnesses  
         and followed by public testimony. 
          
              Charge 1:  Examine practices by courts and attorneys in  
         product liability cases that may be detrimental to public health  
         and safety. The review should include the sealing of records  
         that might assist the public in assessing the dangers of using a  
         product, agreements not to disclose information to the public or  
         regulatory agencies, and any other rules, practices or laws  
         deemed relevant by the committee. 
          
         Invited testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         (Representative Martinez Fischer now present.) 
          
         The issue was left pending without objection.  
          
              Charge 2:  Examine changes over the last decade to the  
         civil justice system that affect the right of litigants  
         (citizens or businesses) to receive appropriate review by a  
         judicial body, including arbitration, mediation, other types of  
         alternative dispute resolution. 
          
         Invited testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         Public testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         The issue was left pending without objection.  
          
              Charge 3:  Review changes in federal laws and law  
         enforcement procedures, as well as recommendations from state  
         and national agencies charged with homeland protection, to  
         assess the need for changes in state civil laws to protect life  
         and property and to detect, interdict and respond to acts of  
         terrorism. 
          
         No testimony was taken, but various individuals registered a  
         position on the subject.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         The issue was left pending without objection.  
          
              Charge 5:  Monitor the rule-making proceedings of the Texas  
         Supreme Court. 
          
         Invited testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.) 
          
         The issue was left pending without objection.  
          
         At 2:20 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection,  
         the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair. 
          
         ________________________ 
         Rep. Bosse, Chair 
          
         ________________________ 
         Craig Chick, Clerk