By:  Wentworth                                        S.B. No. 1004
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the jurisdiction of a statutory probate court in
 1-2     certain guardianship matters.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 607(b), Texas Probate Code, is amended to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           (b)  In a proceeding in a statutory probate court or district
 1-7     court, the phrases "appertaining to estates" and "incident to an
 1-8     estate" in this chapter include the appointment of guardians, the
 1-9     issuance of letters of guardianship, all claims by or against a
1-10     guardianship estate, all actions for trial of title to land and for
1-11     the enforcement of liens on the land, all actions for trial of the
1-12     right of property, and generally all matters relating to the
1-13     settlement, partition, and distribution of a guardianship estate.
1-14     A statutory probate court, in the exercise of its jurisdiction and
1-15     notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, may hear all
1-16     suits, actions, and applications filed against or on behalf of any
1-17     guardianship; all such suits, actions, and applications are
1-18     appertaining to and incident to an estate.  In a situation in which
1-19     the jurisdiction of a statutory probate court is concurrent with
1-20     that of a district court, a cause of action appertaining to or
1-21     incident to a guardianship estate shall be brought in a statutory
1-22     probate court rather than in the district court.
 2-1           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.