Section 8 of House Bill 19 Bars Non-Consensual Removal of Pre-September 1, 2024 Cases to Business Court

In XTO Energy Inc. v. Houston Pipe Line Company LP, the Business Court of Texas granted plaintiff's motion to remand a 2021 case that defendants removed in October 2024, holding it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction over cases filed before September 1, 2024. The decision turns on interpreting Section 8 of House Bill 19, which provides that "the changes in law made by this Act apply to civil actions commenced on or after September 1, 2024."