Sec. 172.174.  STAY OF COURT PROCEEDINGS.  (a)  On request of a party, a court in which a pending judicial proceeding is being brought by a party to an arbitration agreement to obtain relief with respect to a matter covered by the arbitration agreement shall:
(1)  stay the judicial proceeding;  and
(2)  refer the parties to arbitration.
(b)  A party may not make a request for a stay after the time the requesting party submits the party's first statement on the substance of the dispute.
(c)  The court may not stay the proceeding if it finds that the agreement is void, inoperable, or incapable of being performed.
(d)  An arbitration may begin or continue, and an arbitration tribunal may make an award, while an action described in this section is pending before the court.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 5.02, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.