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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to promulgation of certain forms for use in |
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landlord-tenant matters. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 22.019 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 22.019. PROMULGATION OF CERTAIN LANDLORD-TENANT |
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FORMS. (a) The supreme court shall, as the court finds |
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appropriate, promulgate forms for use by individuals representing |
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themselves in residential landlord-tenant matters and instructions |
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for the proper use of each form or set of forms. |
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(b) The forms and instructions: |
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(1) must be written in plain language that is easy to |
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understand by the general public; |
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(2) shall be made readily available to the general |
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public in the manner prescribed by the supreme court; and |
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(3) must be translated into the Spanish language as |
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provided by Subsection (c). |
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(c) The Spanish language translation of a form must: |
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(1) state: |
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(A) that the Spanish language translated form is |
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to be used solely for the purpose of assisting in understanding the |
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form and may not be submitted to the court; and |
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(B) that the English language version of the form |
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must be submitted to the court; or |
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(2) be incorporated into the English language version |
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of the form in a manner that is understandable to both the court and |
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members of the general public. |
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(d) Each form and its instructions must clearly and |
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conspicuously state that the form is not a substitute for the advice |
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of an attorney. |
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(e) The clerk of a court shall inform members of the general |
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public of the availability of a form promulgated by the supreme |
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court under this section as appropriate and make the form available |
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free of charge. |
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(f) A court shall accept a form promulgated by the supreme |
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court under this section unless the form has been completed in a |
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manner that causes a substantive defect that cannot be cured. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2015. |