SRC-JBJ H.B. 1712 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 1712
77R11645 QS-DBy: Maxey (West, Royce)
Jurisprudence
5/8/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, some consumers experience difficulty finding certain information
that is necessary in order to make informed decisions about the selection
of an attorney for legal representation.  H.B. 1712 requires the State Bar
of Texas to compile a list of attorney profiles that would be made
available to the public.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the State Bar of Texas in
SECTION 1 (Section 81.115, Government Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 81H, Government Code, by adding Section 81.115,
as follows: 

Sec. 81.115.  ONLINE ATTORNEY PROFILES.  (a)  Requires the State Bar of
Texas (state bar) to create a profile of each attorney licensed by the
state bar.  Sets forth criteria for the profile. 

  (b)  Sets forth information on each attorney that a profile is required
to contain. 

(c)  Requires the profile to contain certain information on an attorney if
the attorney provides the information to the state bar. 

(d)  Requires information included under Subsection (b) or (c) that is not
maintained by the state bar in the ordinary course of the state bar's
duties to be requested from an attorney annually.  Requires the state bar,
in requesting information from the attorney, to take certain enumerated
actions. 

(e)  Provides that this section does not require the state bar to disclose
confidential information. 
 
(f)  Requires the state bar to annually provide to each attorney licensed
by the state bar a copy of the attorney's profile or provide to an
individual attorney a copy of the attorney's profile on request.  The state
bar shall provide an attorney one month from the date a copy of the
attorney's profile is provided to the attorney to correct factual errors in
the attorney's profile. 

(g)  Requires the state bar to annually update the information contained in
an attorney's profile.  Requires the state bar to adopt a form that allows
an attorney to update information contained in the attorney's profile.
Requires the form to be made available on the Internet and in other formats
as prescribed by rules adopted by the state bar. Authorizes the state bar
to adopt rules relating to the type and content of additional information
that may be included in an attorney's profile. 
 
(h)  Authorizes the state bar, for purposes of administering this section,
to collect from each member of the state bar an annual fee of not more than
$10. 

  (i)  Requires the state bar to adopt rules as necessary to implement this
section. 

SECTION 2.  (a)  Effective date: September 1, 2001.

(b)  Requires the state bar to adopt the rules required under Section
81.115, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than April 1,
2002.  Requires the state bar to make the initial attorney profiles
required under this Act available to the public not later than September 1,
2003. 
 
(c)  Authorizes the state bar, notwithstanding Section 81.115(h),
Government Code, as added by this Act, to collect from each member of the
state bar a fee of not more than $20 for each fiscal year in the 2002-2003
biennium.