BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                      S.B. 2193

                                                                                                                                       By: Huffman

                                                                                                                                      Jurisprudence

                                                                                                                                            4/19/2009

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

As proposed,  S.B. 2193 authorizes the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals to conduct a pilot program to identify efficiencies in human resources and other court protocols.

 

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 Chapter 22, Government Code, by adding Subchapter C-1, as follows:

 

SUBCHAPTER C-1.  PILOT PROJECTS DEVELOPED BY FIRST AND FOURTEENTH COURTS OF APPEALS

 

Sec. 22.250.  DEFINITION.  Defines "courts of appeals."

 

Sec. 22.251.  PILOT PROJECT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES.  Authorizes the first and fourteenth courts of appeals (courts of appeals) to implement a pilot project to jointly develop and implement human resources policies and procedures in accordance with this code and the provisions of the Texas Human Resources Management Statutes Inventory.

 

Sec. 22.252.  PILOT PROJECT RELATED TO ACCESS THROUGH ON-LINE E-FILING SYSTEM BY PARTIES WHO REPRESENT THEMSELVES.  Authorizes the courts of appeals to implement a pilot project to jointly develop and implement policies and procedures that ensure adequate access to the appellate courts through the Texas Online e-filing system for parties who represent themselves in the courts of appeals.

 

SECTION 2.  Authorizes the courts of appeals, during the 2010-2011 biennium, to evaluate whether the creation of a standardized human resources and employee manual is the most efficient and effective method by which to develop, implement, and maintain policies and procedures relating to employee management in those courts.

 

SECTION 3.  Authorizes the courts of appeals, during the 2010-2011 biennium, to participate in a pilot project to jointly develop and evaluate criteria to convert certain closed civil and criminal case file documents to a digital format and to destroy the remaining paper copies of those files.  Requires that this criteria comply with all applicable provisions of the Government Code pertaining to the retention and destruction of paper case file documents and be developed in consultation with the state archivist.  Authorizes the courts to retain and destroy paper case file documents from closed civil and criminal cases based on the criteria developed under the pilot project.

 

SECTION 4.  Authorizes the courts of appeals, during the 2010-2011 biennium, to participate in a pilot project to jointly develop common procedures for the continuity of operations for the courts and for their recovery from disasters.

 

SECTION 5.  Effective date:  September 1, 2009.