Rule 69.Supplemental Petition or Answer
Last verified June 28, 2026
Full Text of Rule 69
Plain-English Summary
Rule 69 defines how a supplemental pleading works. A supplemental petition or answer responds to the opposing party's last preceding pleading and does not repeat earlier allegations beyond what is needed as an introduction. Unlike an amendment, it does not replace a prior pleading.
The original petition and its supplements, and the original answer and its supplements, stay separate and distinct, each keeping its number, name, and indorsement throughout the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a supplemental petition in Texas?
Under Rule 69, a pleading that responds to the opposing party's last preceding pleading. It supplements rather than replaces, and it stays a distinct, numbered part of the record.
Does a supplemental pleading replace the earlier pleading in Texas?
No. Rule 69 treats a supplemental petition or answer as a response to the other party's last preceding pleading, not a rewrite of an earlier one. The original and its supplements each stay separate, distinct parts of the pleadings.
Can a Texas supplemental pleading repeat earlier allegations?
Only as far as needed to introduce the new pleading. Rule 69 bars repeating allegations already pleaded beyond what serves as an introduction to what follows.