BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 229

80R3151 KLA-D                                                                                                               By: Harris

Jurisprudence

2/6/2007

As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, a district clerk is required by law to document and maintain the records of a district court that often require large amounts of storage space, making it difficult to arrange and locate materials stored within them. District courts are required to have a seal and to use that seal on all processes of the court, with the exception of subpoenas.

As proposed, S.B. 229 gives a district court the authority to create a seal electronically, thus allowing the courts to transfer, store, and locate documents with greater efficiency.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.301(d), Government Code, as follows:

(d) Permits the creation of a district court seal using an electronic means, including by using an optical disk or another electronic reproduction technique, if the means by which the seal is impressed on an original document created using the same type of electronic means does not allow for changes, additions, or deletions to be made to the document.

SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2007.