| TO: | Honorable David Dewhurst , Lieutenant Governor, Senate Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB408 by Carona (Relating to jurisdiction, venue, and appeals in certain matters, including the jurisdiction of and appeals from certain courts and administrative decisions and the appointment of counsel in certain appeals.), Conference Committee Report |
The bill would amend the Civil Practice and Remedies Code relating to the jurisdiction of and appeals from certain courts. The bill would allow a person to appeal the final judgment of a county or statutory county court to a court of appeals. The bill also would amend the Government Code to clarify the definition of decision in the context of public assistance benefits. The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code concerning appeals of court decisions that work to divest ownership of animals. The bill would also amend the Government Code to authorize a court to appoint a pro bono attorney to represent certain parties in appeals of eviction suits. The bill would amend the Probate Code relating to jurisdiction of probate proceedings and proceedings regarding powers of attorney and certain trusts.
To the extent the bill would add new case filings to the dockets of the courts of appeals, or amend probate proceedings, no significant change to the workload of the court system is anticipated. Except as otherwise provided by bill provisions, the bill would take effect September 1, 2009.
| Source Agencies: | 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, TP, JP, TB, MN
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