79R10093 T

By:  Hartnett                                                     H.B. No. 3434



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to decedent's estates.                                               
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 248, Texas Probate Code, is amended to 
read as follows:  
	Sec. 248.  APPOINTMENT OF APPRAISERS.  At any time after the 
grant of letters testamentary or of administration and on its own 
motion or on the motion of an[, upon the application of any] 
interested person [or if the court shall deem necessary], the court 
for good cause shown shall appoint not less than one nor more than 
three disinterested persons, citizens of the county in which 
letters were granted, to appraise the property of the estate.  In 
such event and when part of the estate is situated in a county other 
than the county in which letters were granted, if the court shall 
deem necessary it may appoint not less than one nor more than three 
disinterested persons, citizens of the county where such part of 
the estate is situated, to appraise the property of the estate 
situated therein.
	SECTION 2.  Section 131A(d), is amended to read as follows:                    
	(d)  Within three business days following [On] the date of 
the order, the appointee shall file with the county clerk a bond in 
the amount ordered by the court.
	SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act to Section 
248, Texas Probate Code, apply only to the estate of a decedent who 
dies on or after the effective date of this Act.  The estate of a 
decedent who dies before the effective date of this Act is governed 
by the law in effect on the date of the decedent's death, and the 
former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.