1.   House Republicans began writing tort legislation that would bring sweeping changes in the role of federal and state courts in lawsuits involving consumers and manufacturers.

2.   Republican lawmakers and their aides said last week that there is little doubt that the House would adopt tort legislation, but that its contours were still taking shape.

3.   The bill languished for at least three weeks in a special subcommittee created by Lt. Gov. Rick Perry to handle all tort reform legislation.

4.   The fight over tort legislation differs from most of the current battles on Capitol Hill.

5.   The tort reform legislation just vetoed by President Clinton would have imposed a cap on punitive damages that many critics thought too low to deter corporate misconduct.

6.   The tort reform legislation, opposed by trial lawyers across the United States, was supported by many business organizations and the tobacco industry.

7.   This would allow them to work with the sweeping tort reform legislation passed by the House.

8.   Trial lawyers have been battling tort reform legislation championed by business interests and Republicans in the Congress.