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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to judicial statistics and other pertinent information, |
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including landlord and tenant dispute information, gathered by or |
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reported to the Texas Judicial Council and certain populous |
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counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 71.035, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1), (a-2), and |
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(a-3) to read as follows: |
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(a) The council shall gather judicial statistics and other |
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pertinent information, including monthly court activity statistics |
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for each trial court in this state, from the several state judges |
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and other court officials of this state. |
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(a-1) The [In addition, the] council shall implement a |
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monthly tracking system to ensure accountability for counties and |
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courts which participate in the statewide integrated system for |
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child support, medical support, and dental support enforcement |
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established under Section 231.0011, Family Code. As a duty of |
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office, the district clerks and county clerks serving the affected |
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courts shall report monthly such information as may be required by |
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the council, including, at a minimum, the time required to enforce |
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cases from date of delinquency, from date of filing, and from date |
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of service until date of disposition. Such information as is |
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necessary to complete the report and not directly within the |
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control of the district or county clerk, such as date of |
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delinquency, shall be provided to the clerk by the child support |
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registry or by the enforcement agency providing Title IV-D |
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enforcement services in the court. |
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(a-2) A [The] monthly report required by Subsection (a) or |
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(a-1) must [shall] be transmitted to the Office of Court |
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Administration of the Texas Judicial System no later than the 20th |
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day of the month following the month reported, in the [such] form |
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and manner [as may be] prescribed by the office [Office of Court |
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Administration], which may include electronic data transfer. The |
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office shall publish the information for each court on the office's |
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public Internet website in a searchable format. |
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(a-3) In a county with a population greater than one |
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million, a court official for each court in the county shall submit |
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to the appropriate county official for publication on the county's |
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public Internet website a copy of each monthly report required |
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under Subsections (a) and (a-1) within the time required by |
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Subsection (a-2). The county shall publish the information for |
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each court on the county's Internet website in a searchable format |
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[Copies of such reports shall be maintained in the office of the |
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appropriate district or county clerk for a period of at least two |
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years and shall be available to the public for inspection and |
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reproduction]. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 71.0354 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 71.0354. LANDLORD AND TENANT DISPUTE INFORMATION: |
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COURTS. (a) As a component of the official monthly report |
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submitted under Section 71.035, a court with jurisdiction over |
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landlord and tenant disputes shall report by category each case |
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filed in the court under Chapter 24, Property Code, or Title 8, |
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Property Code, including: |
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(1) eviction suits; |
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(2) suits involving the disconnection of utilities; |
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(3) repair and remedy suits; |
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(4) suits involving security deposits; |
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(5) suits involving unlawful lockouts; |
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(6) suits involving the provision of security and |
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safety devices; and |
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(7) any other category of suit involving a landlord or |
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tenant brought under Title 8, Property Code, and designated by the |
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council. |
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(b) The council may adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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this section. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Texas Judicial Council shall adopt any rules |
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necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act the Texas Judicial Council shall prescribe the |
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categories of landlord and tenant suits a court is required to |
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report under Section 71.0354, Government Code, as added by this |
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Act, and the procedures for reporting under that section. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 71.0354, Government Code, as |
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added by this Act, a court is not required to report landlord and |
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tenant dispute information under that section until after the Texas |
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Judicial Council establishes the categories and procedures for |
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reporting under that section. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |