Honorable John T. Smithee, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3698 by White, Molly (Relating to nonbinding dispute resolution proceedings conducted by religious organizations or authorities.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to add a section requiring a religious organization or authority providing a nonbinding resolution proceeding to provide each party with a disclosure statement describing the legal boundaries of the nonbinding resolution until signed by a judge and that a party has the right to petition a court. The bill would require religious organizations to provide certain training regarding use of the required disclosures. The nonbinding resolutions could not be used to address disputes involving child custody or child support.
Based on the analysis of the Office of Court Administration, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council