1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 1614 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 1997; March 24, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; 1-4 April 9, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, 1-5 Nays 0; April 9, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to certain unauthorized practice of law. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 83.001, Government Code, 1-11 is amended to read as follows: 1-12 (a) A person, partnership, corporation, or other entity, 1-13 other than a person described in Subsection (b), may not charge or 1-14 receive, either directly or indirectly, any compensation for all or 1-15 any part of the preparation of a legal instrument affecting title 1-16 to real property, including a deed, deed of trust, note, mortgage, 1-17 and transfer or release of lien. As used in this section, 1-18 "compensation" includes but is not limited to interest and any 1-19 other cost, fee, or charge made in connection with a loan secured 1-20 by a lien on real property. 1-21 SECTION 2. Section 83.002, Government Code, is amended to 1-22 read as follows: 1-23 Sec. 83.002. EXPENSES. This chapter does not prevent an 1-24 attorney from paying secretarial, paralegal, or other ordinary and 1-25 reasonable expenses necessarily and actually incurred by the 1-26 attorney for the preparation of legal instruments. However, no 1-27 such payments shall be made by an attorney directly or indirectly 1-28 to a party to the transaction for which the legal documents are 1-29 prepared. 1-30 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-31 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-32 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-33 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-34 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-35 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-36 * * * * *