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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to providing notice to the beneficiaries under a |
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decedent's will. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 128A, Texas Probate Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 128A. NOTICE TO BENEFICIARIES [CERTAIN ENTITIES] AFTER |
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PROBATE OF WILL. (a) In this section, "beneficiary" means a |
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person, entity, state, governmental agency of the state, charitable |
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organization, or trust entitled to receive real or personal |
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property under the terms of a decedent's will, to be determined for |
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purposes of this section with the assumption that each person who is |
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alive on the date of the decedent's death survives any period |
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required to receive the bequest as specified by the terms of the |
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will. |
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(b) Not later than the 60th day after the date of an order |
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admitting a decedent's will to probate, the personal representative |
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of the decedent's estate, including an independent executor or |
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independent administrator, shall give notice that complies with |
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Subsection (d) of this section to each beneficiary named in the will |
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whose identity and address are known to the personal representative |
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or, through reasonable diligence, can be ascertained. If, after |
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the 60th day after the date of the order, the personal |
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representative becomes aware of the identity and address of a |
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beneficiary who was not given notice on or before the 60th day, the |
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personal representative shall give the notice as soon as possible |
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after becoming aware of that information. |
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(c) Notwithstanding the requirement under Subsection (b) of |
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this section that the personal representative give the notice to |
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the beneficiary, the personal representative shall give the notice |
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with respect to a beneficiary described by this subsection as |
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follows: |
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(1) if the beneficiary is a trust, to the trustee, |
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unless the personal representative is the trustee, in which case |
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the personal representative shall give the notice to the person or |
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class of persons first eligible to receive the trust income, to be |
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determined for purposes of this subdivision as if the trust were in |
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existence on the date of the decedent's death; |
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(2) if the beneficiary has a court-appointed guardian |
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or conservator, to that guardian or conservator; and |
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(3) if the beneficiary is a minor for whom no guardian |
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or conservator has been appointed, to a parent of the minor. |
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(d) The notice required by this section must: |
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(1) state: |
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(A) the name and address of the beneficiary to |
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whom the notice is given or, for a beneficiary described by |
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Subsection (c) of this section, the name and address of the |
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beneficiary for whom the notice is given and of the person to whom |
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the notice is given; |
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(B) the decedent's name; |
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(C) that the decedent's will has been admitted to |
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probate; |
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(D) that the beneficiary to whom or for whom the |
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notice is given is named as a beneficiary in the will; |
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(E) the personal representative's name and |
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contact information; and |
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(F) that the personal representative owes the |
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beneficiary a fiduciary duty of full disclosure of all material |
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facts known to the personal representative that may affect the |
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beneficiary's rights; and |
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(2) contain as attachments a copy of the will admitted |
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to probate and the order admitting the will to probate. |
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(e) The notice required by this section must be sent by |
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registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. |
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(f) Not later than the 60th day after the date of an order |
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admitting a will to probate, the personal representative shall file |
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with the clerk of the court in which the decedent's estate is |
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pending an affidavit stating: |
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(1) the name and address of each beneficiary to whom |
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the personal representative gave the notice and, with respect to |
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each beneficiary described by Subsection (c) of this section, the |
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name and address of the beneficiary and of the person to whom the |
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notice was given; |
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(2) the name of each beneficiary whose identity or |
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address could not be ascertained despite the personal |
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representative's exercise of reasonable diligence; and |
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(3) any other information necessary to explain the |
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personal representative's inability to give the notice to or for |
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any beneficiary as required by this section. [If the address of the
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entity can be ascertained with reasonable diligence, an applicant
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under Section 81 of this code shall give the state, a governmental
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agency of the state, or a charitable organization notice that the
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entity is named as a devisee in a written will, a written will not
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produced, or a nuncupative will that has been admitted to probate.
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[(b) The notice required by Subsection (a) of this section
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must be given not later than the 30th day after the date of the
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probate of the will.
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[(c) The notice must be in writing and state the county in
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which the will was admitted to probate. A copy of the application
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and the order admitting the will to probate and, if the application
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is for probate of a written will, a copy of the will must be attached
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to the notice.
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[(d) An entity entitled to notice under Subsection (a) of
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this section must be notified by registered or certified mail,
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return receipt requested.
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[(e) The applicant must file a copy of the notice with the
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court in which the will was admitted to probate.] |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 128B, Texas Probate Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 128B. NOTICE TO HEIRS ON APPLICATION TO PROBATE [WHEN] |
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WILL [PROBATED] AFTER FOUR YEARS. |
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SECTION 3. Section 149C(a), Texas Probate Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The county court, as that term is defined by Section 3 of |
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this code, on its own motion or on motion of any interested person, |
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after the independent executor has been cited by personal service |
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to answer at a time and place fixed in the notice, may remove an |
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independent executor when: |
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(1) the independent executor fails to return within |
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ninety days after qualification, unless such time is extended by |
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order of the court, an inventory of the property of the estate and |
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list of claims that have come to the independent executor's [his] |
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knowledge; |
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(2) sufficient grounds appear to support belief that |
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the independent executor [he] has misapplied or embezzled, or that |
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the independent executor [he] is about to misapply or embezzle, all |
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or any part of the property committed to the independent executor's |
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[his] care; |
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(3) the independent executor [he] fails to make an |
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accounting which is required by law to be made; |
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(4) the independent executor [he] fails to timely file |
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the affidavit [notice] required by Section 128A of this code; |
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(5) the independent executor [he] is proved to have |
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been guilty of gross misconduct or gross mismanagement in the |
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performance of the independent executor's [his] duties; or |
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(6) the independent executor [he] becomes an |
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incapacitated person, or is sentenced to the penitentiary, or from |
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any other cause becomes legally incapacitated from properly |
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performing the independent executor's [his] fiduciary duties. |
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SECTION 4. Section 222(b), Texas Probate Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) With Notice. The court may remove a personal |
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representative on its own motion, or on the complaint of any |
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interested person, after the personal representative has been cited |
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by personal service to answer at a time and place fixed in the |
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notice, when: |
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(1) Sufficient grounds appear to support belief that |
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the personal representative [he] has misapplied, embezzled, or |
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removed from the state, or that the personal representative [he] is |
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about to misapply, embezzle, or remove from the state, all or any |
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part of the property committed to the personal representative's |
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[his] care; |
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(2) The personal representative [He] fails to return |
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any account which is required by law to be made; |
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(3) The personal representative [He] fails to obey any |
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proper order of the court having jurisdiction with respect to the |
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performance of the personal representative's [his] duties; |
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(4) The personal representative [He] is proved to have |
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been guilty of gross misconduct, or mismanagement in the |
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performance of the personal representative's [his] duties; |
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(5) The personal representative [He] becomes an |
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incapacitated person, or is sentenced to the penitentiary, or from |
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any other cause becomes incapable of properly performing the duties |
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of the personal representative's [his] trust; |
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(6) As executor or administrator, the personal |
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representative [he] fails to make a final settlement within three |
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years after the grant of letters, unless the time be extended by the |
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court upon a showing of sufficient cause supported by oath; or |
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(7) As executor or administrator, the personal |
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representative [he] fails to timely file the affidavit [notice] |
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required by Section 128A of this code. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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the estate of a decedent who dies on or after the effective date of |
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this Act. The estate of a decedent who dies before the effective |
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date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date of the |
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decedent's death, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |