1-1     By:  Thompson (Senate Sponsor - Lindsay)              H.B. No. 2261

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 1997;

 1-3     April 29, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 18, 1997, reported favorably, as amended, by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                               By:  Duncan

 1-7           Amend HB 2261 in SECTION 1, on line 32 by deleting "an

 1-8     additional cost" and inserting "a fine".

 1-9                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

1-10                                   AN ACT

1-11     relating to providing the court with certain information regarding

1-12     a party in a civil action.

1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-14           SECTION 1.  Chapter 30, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is

1-15     amended by adding Section 30.015 to read as follows:

1-16           Sec. 30.015.  PROVISION OF CURRENT ADDRESS OF PARTY IN CIVIL

1-17     ACTION.  (a)  In a civil action, each party or the party's attorney

1-18     must provide the clerk of the court with written notice of the

1-19     party's name and current residence or business address.

1-20           (b)  The notice required by Subsection (a) may not be

1-21     required from any party or party's attorney if such party has not

1-22     appeared or answered in the civil action.

1-23           (c)  The notice required by Subsection (a) must be provided

1-24     at the time the party files its initial pleading with the court or

1-25     not later than the seventh day after the date the clerk of the

1-26     court requests the information.

1-27           (d)  If the party's address changes during the course of a

1-28     civil action, the party or the party's attorney must provide the

1-29     clerk of the court with written notice of the party's new address.

1-30           (e)  If the party or the party's attorney fails to provide

1-31     the notice required by Subsection (a), the trial court may assess

1-32     an additional cost of not more than $50.

1-33           (f)  It is a defense to a fine assessed under this section

1-34     that the party or the party's attorney could not reasonably obtain

1-35     and provide the information required by Subsection (a).

1-36           (g)  Information provided to a clerk of a court under this

1-37     section is confidential and may not be disclosed to the public

1-38     without the express authorization of the court.

1-39           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-40     applies only to suits filed on or after the effective date of this

1-41     Act.

1-42           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-43     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-44     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-45     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-46     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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