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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation and evaluation of certain pilot projects |
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of the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 22, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter C-1 to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER C-1. PILOT PROJECTS DEVELOPED BY FIRST AND FOURTEENTH |
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COURTS OF APPEALS |
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Sec. 22.250. DEFINITION. In this subchapter "courts of |
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appeals" means the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals. |
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Sec. 22.251. PILOT PROJECT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION |
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OF HUMAN RESOURCES. The courts of appeals may implement a pilot |
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project to jointly develop and implement human resources policies |
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and procedures in accordance with this code and the provisions of |
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the Texas Human Resources Management Statutes Inventory. |
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Sec. 22.252. PILOT PROJECT RELATED TO ACCESS THROUGH |
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ON-LINE E-FILING SYSTEM BY PARTIES WHO REPRESENT THEMSELVES. The |
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courts of appeals may implement a pilot project to jointly develop |
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and implement policies and procedures that ensure adequate access |
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to the appellate courts through the Texas Online e-filing system |
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for parties who represent themselves in the courts of appeals. |
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SECTION 2. During the 2010-2011 biennium, the First and |
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Fourteenth Courts of Appeals may evaluate whether the creation of a |
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standardized human resources and employee manual is the most |
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efficient and effective method by which to develop, implement, and |
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maintain policies and procedures relating to employee management in |
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those courts. |
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SECTION 3. During the 2010-2011 biennium, the First and |
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Fourteenth Courts of Appeals may participate in a pilot project to |
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jointly develop and evaluate criteria to convert certain closed |
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civil and criminal case file documents to a digital format and to |
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destroy the remaining paper copies of those files. This criteria |
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must comply with all applicable provisions of the Government Code |
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pertaining to the retention and destruction of paper case file |
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documents and must be developed in consultation with the state |
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archivist. The courts may retain and destroy paper case file |
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documents from closed civil and criminal cases based on the |
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criteria developed under the pilot project. |
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SECTION 4. During the 2010-2011 biennium, the First and |
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Fourteenth Courts of Appeals may participate in a pilot project to |
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jointly develop common procedures for the continuity of operations |
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for the courts and for their recovery from disasters. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |