S.B. No. 489

AN ACT

relating to personal information that may be omitted from certain records, licenses, and reports and to other court security measures.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 254, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 254.0313 to read as follows:

Sec. 254.0313. OMISSION OF ADDRESS FOR JUDGE AND SPOUSE. (a) In this section, "federal judge" and "state judge" have the meanings assigned by Section 13.0021.

(b) On receiving notice from the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System of a judge's qualification for office or on receipt of a written request from a federal judge, state judge, or spouse of a federal or state judge, the commission shall remove or redact the residence address of a federal judge, a state judge, or the spouse of a federal or state judge from any report filed by the judge in the judge's capacity or made available on the Internet under this chapter.

SECTION 2. Section 72.015, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:

(d) The director of security and emergency preparedness shall annually submit to the legislature:

(1) a report on court security activities throughout the state supported by the judicial security division, including:

(A) the technical aspects of providing court security;

(B) court security training provided or required by the judicial security division;

(C) sufficiency of judicial security division resources to evaluate and monitor court security; and

(D) the adequacy of funding to maintain court security; and

(2) recommendations for:

(A) monitoring the use of state resources in providing court security;

(B) improving court security; and

(C) increasing the amount of state funds and other resources made available for court security.

SECTION 3. Section 145.007, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:

(d) On the written request of a municipal court judge of the municipality or a candidate for municipal court judge, the clerk or secretary of the municipality shall remove or redact the residence address of the municipal court judge, municipal court judge's spouse, or candidate for the office of municipal court judge, from a financial statement filed under this chapter before the financial statement is made available to a member of the public.

SECTION 4. Chapter 159, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Subchapter D to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER D. PROTECTION FOR JUDICIAL OFFICERS

Sec. 159.071. OMISSION OF ADDRESS. (a) In this section:

(1) "County attorney" means a county attorney whose jurisdiction includes any criminal law or child protective services matter.

(2) "State judge" has the meaning assigned by Section 13.0021, Election Code.

(b) On receiving notice from the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System of a county attorney's or state judge's qualifications for office or on receipt of a written request from a county attorney, state judge, spouse of a county attorney or state judge, or candidate for the office of county attorney or state judge, the county clerk shall remove or redact the residence address of the county attorney, state judge, spouse of a county attorney or state judge, or candidate for the office of county attorney or state judge from any report filed under this chapter by the county attorney, state judge, or candidate before the statement is made available to a member of the public.

SECTION 5. Section 11.008(a), Property Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) In this section, "instrument" means a deed, [or] deed of trust, or any other record recorded by a county clerk related to real property, including a mineral lease, a mechanic's lien, and the release of a mechanic's lien.

SECTION 6. Section 25.025(b), Tax Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) Information in appraisal records under Section 25.02 is confidential and is available only for the official use of the appraisal district, this state, the comptroller, and taxing units and political subdivisions of this state if:

(1) the information identifies the home address of a named individual to whom this section applies; and

(2) the individual:

(A) chooses to restrict public access to the information on the form prescribed for that purpose by the comptroller under Section 5.07; or

(B) is a federal or state judge [as defined by Section 572.002, Government Code], or the spouse of a federal or state judge, beginning on the date the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System notifies the appraisal district of the judge's qualification for the judge's office.

SECTION 7. Section 521.121(c), Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) The department shall establish a procedure, on a license holder's qualification for office as a federal or state judge as defined by Section 13.0021, Election Code [572.002, Government Code], to omit the residence address of the judge and the spouse of the judge on the license holder's license and to include, in lieu of that address, the street address of the courthouse in which the license holder or license holder's spouse serves as a federal judge or state judge.

SECTION 8. Section 254.0313, Election Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a report filed by a federal judge or state judge on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 489 passed the Senate on March 18, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 24, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 489 passed the House, with amendments, on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 0, two present not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

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Date

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Governor