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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the release and use of certain information maintained |
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by the State Bar of Texas on request of certain continuing legal |
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education sponsors regarding attorneys. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 552.1176, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
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(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the State Bar of Texas |
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shall provide the names, bar card numbers, and e-mail addresses of |
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persons licensed to practice law in this state to an accredited |
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sponsor of a continuing legal education course who is approved by |
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the minimum continuing legal education committee of the state bar |
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and who is affiliated with a state agency, including a public law |
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school, on the request of the accredited sponsor. A request by an |
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accredited sponsor under this subsection must be in writing or |
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electronically transmitted. An accredited sponsor who receives the |
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e-mail address of a person licensed to practice law may only use the |
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e-mail address to provide notification of accredited continuing |
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legal education activities. The state bar may charge the |
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accredited sponsor with the actual costs incurred in providing the |
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e-mail addresses by electronic means. |
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(e) For purposes of this chapter, an attorney's e-mail |
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address maintained by the State Bar of Texas for the supreme court |
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as part of the attorney membership record is not an e-mail address |
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of a member of the public that is provided for the purpose of |
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communicating electronically with a governmental body. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a request to the State |
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Bar of Texas under Section 552.1176(d), Government Code, as added |
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by this Act, that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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A request to the state bar under that section that occurs before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect |
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immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |