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By:  Madla                                                        S.B. No. 1559


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information 
filed with the county clerk in the real property records.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 11, Property Code, is amended by adding 
Section 11.008 to read as follows:
	Sec. 11.008.  CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IN REAL PROPERTY 
RECORDS.  (a)  An instrument executed after December 31, 2003, 
transferring an interest in real property from or to a natural 
person may not be filed for record unless a notice appears on the 
first page of the instrument in 12-point boldface type or 12-point 
uppercase letters and that reads substantially similar to the 
following:
	"NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY RIGHTS:  IF YOU ARE A NATURAL 
PERSON, YOU MAY REMOVE OR STRIKE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION 
FROM THIS INSTRUMENT BEFORE IT IS FILED FOR RECORD IN THE PUBLIC 
RECORDS:  YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER, 
OR YOUR PHONE NUMBER."
	(b)  The validity of a conveyance or other instrument as 
between the parties and the notice imparted by the instrument are 
not affected by a failure to include the notice in compliance with 
this section on the first page of the instrument.
	(c)  Acceptance of the instrument by the county clerk for 
filing and recording creates a conclusive presumption that the 
requirements of this section have been met.
	(d)  This section shall not apply to any instrument to the 
extent federal law provides otherwise.
	(e)  The county clerk shall post a notice in the county 
clerk's office stating that instruments filed in the real property 
records and executed after December 31, 2003 may not contain a 
social security number or driver license, and that instruments 
filed for record in the real property records are public records 
available for review by members of the public.
	(f)  Unless this section is expressly mentioned in laws 
enacted after the effective date hereof, these provisions shall be 
the sole provisions relating to confidentiality of the real 
property records.  All real property records and the information 
therein, including the address or legal description of land, return 
address, and name of parties, shall be available for review by the 
public or any person.
	(g)  For purposes of this section, an instrument is a deed, 
mortgage or deed of trust.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.