By: Ellis  S.B. No. 300
         (In the Senate - Filed January 24, 2007; January 30, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  February 14, 2007, rereferred to Committee on Government
  Organization; March 12, 2007, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; March 12, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the duration of judgment liens in favor of the state.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 52.006, Property Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 52.006.  DURATION OF LIEN. (a)  Except as provided by
  Subsection (b), a [A] judgment lien continues for 10 years
  following the date of recording and indexing the abstract, except
  that if the judgment becomes dormant during that period the lien
  ceases to exist.
         (b)  Notwithstanding Section 34.001, Civil Practice and
  Remedies Code, a judgment in favor of the state or a state agency,
  as that term is defined by Section 403.055, Government Code, does
  not become dormant.  A properly filed abstract of the judgment
  continues to constitute a lien under Section 52.001 until the
  earlier of the 20th anniversary of the date the abstract is recorded
  and indexed or the date the judgment is satisfied or the lien is
  released.  The judgment lien may be renewed for one additional
  20-year period by filing, before the expiration of the initial
  20-year period, a renewed abstract of judgment in the same manner as
  the original abstract of judgment is filed. The renewed judgment
  lien relates back to the date the original abstract of judgment was
  filed.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to:
               (1)  a judgment, if the judgment is not then dormant,
  that exists on the effective date of this Act;
               (2)  a judgment lien on record before the effective
  date of this Act; or
               (3)  a judgment entered or abstract of judgment
  recorded and indexed on or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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