BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1695

By: Capriglione

Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties report that many courts across Texas provide online access to family court dockets. C.S.H.B. 1695 seeks to ensure that Tarrant County provides such access to its family court docket.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1695 amends the Government Code to require the following district courts in Tarrant County to provide online Internet access to the applicable family court docket on websites maintained by the respective courts: the 231st District Court, the 233rd District Court, the 322nd District Court, the 324th District Court, the 325th District Court, and the 360th District Court.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1695 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Section 24.408, Government Code, is amended.	SECTION 1. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 2.  Section 24.410, Government Code, is amended.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 3.  Section 24.630, Government Code, is amended.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 4.  Section 24.631, Government Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 24.631.  323RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT (TARRANT COUNTY).  (a) The 323rd Judicial District is composed of Tarrant County. (b)  The court must provide online Internet access to the family court docket on a website maintained by the court.	No equivalent provision.
SECTION 5.  Section 24.632, Government Code, is amended.	SECTION 4. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 6.  Section 24.633, Government Code, is amended.	SECTION 5. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 7.  Section 24.639, Government Code, is amended.	SECTION 6. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 7. Same as introduced version.