Preliminary Approval of Amendments to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13 and Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure 9 and 52

What the court wrote

Verbatim from the court's document (public domain). Ellipses mark omitted text; nothing is paraphrased.

Rule 13 has been rewritten to modernize the rule and reinforce the obligation of attorneys and self-represented parties to verify documents filed with the court. Paragraphs (a) and (b) incorporate the requirements in current Rule 57. Paragraph (c)(1) is adopted principally to address concerns about the improper use of artificial intelligence in filings, which increases the risk of fabricated authorities, quotations, and holdings appearing in court filings. Verifying a filing for accuracy is important, regardless of whether artificial intelligence was Misc. Docket No. 26-9054 Page 5 used. The rule is not intended to govern disputes regarding the interpretation, application, or persuasive force of existing authorities. Paragraph (e)(1) requires the court to give the signer a reasonable opportunity to respond before imposing a sanction. Paragraph (e)(2) imports available sanctions from Rule 215, tailoring them for filings instead of discovery.

Authorities cited in the passage: Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13 · Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 57 · Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure 9 and 52