By Jones of Dallas                                     H.B. No. 806
         76R2831 KEL-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the force and effect of a digital signature on certain
 1-3     court documents.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 2, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended
 1-6     by adding Article 2.26 to read as follows:
 1-7           Art. 2.26.  DIGITAL SIGNATURE.  (a)  In this section,
 1-8     "digital signature" means an electronic identifier intended by the
 1-9     person using it to have the same force and effect as the use of a
1-10     manual signature.
1-11           (b)  An electronically transmitted document issued or
1-12     received by a court in a criminal matter is considered signed if a
1-13     digital signature is transmitted with the document.
1-14           (c)  This section does not preclude any symbol from being
1-15     valid as a signature under other applicable law, including Section
1-16     1.201(39), Business & Commerce Code.
1-17           (d)  The use of a digital signature under this section is
1-18     subject to criminal laws pertaining to fraud and computer crimes,
1-19     including Chapters 32 and 33, Penal Code.
1-20           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.