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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to posting notice of self-help resources on the Internet |
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website of a state court and in the office of the court clerk. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 51, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.808 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.808. NOTICE OF SELF-HELP RESOURCES. (a) The clerk |
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of each court in this state shall: |
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(1) post on the court's Internet website, if any, a |
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link to: |
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(A) the self-help resources Internet website of |
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the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System |
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described in Subsection (b); |
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(B) the Lawyer Referral and Information Service |
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of the State Bar of Texas and any local lawyer referral service |
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serving the county in which the court is located; |
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(C) the Internet website of any legal aid or pro |
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bono organization that provides free legal services to indigent |
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persons in the county in which the court is located; and |
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(D) any court-affiliated self-help center |
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serving the county in which the court is located; and |
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(2) conspicuously display in the clerk's office in a |
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location frequently accessed by the public a sign with the |
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information described in Subdivision (1). |
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(b) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial |
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System shall develop and maintain a self-help resources Internet |
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website that includes information on and links to: |
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(1) the Lawyer Referral and Information Service of the |
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State Bar of Texas; |
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(2) the Referral Directory Legal Services and Other |
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Resources for Low-Income Texans of the State Bar of Texas; |
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(3) the State Law Library; |
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(4) the self-help website for this state's electronic |
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filing system; |
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(5) the programs and services section on the Internet |
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website of the supreme court; and |
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(6) any other self-help resource approved by the |
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office. |
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(c) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial |
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System shall prescribe the format for the information required |
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under Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Office of Court Administration of the Texas |
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Judicial System shall prescribe the format of the information |
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required under Section 51.808, Government Code, as added by this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |