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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide |
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financial assistance to counties for transportation assistance to |
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indigent litigants. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 130.914 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.914. COUNTY INDIGENT LITIGANT TRANSPORTATION |
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ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by |
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the comptroller under the county indigent litigant transportation |
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assistance grant program established by this section. |
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(2) "Indigent litigant" means a person who is: |
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(A) an eligible indigent defendant under Article |
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1.051, Code of Criminal Procedure; |
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(B) a juvenile respondent whose parent or |
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guardian has been found indigent under Section 51.101, Family Code; |
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or |
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(C) an indigent person eligible for |
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court-appointed counsel in a suit filed by a governmental entity |
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under Title 5, Family Code. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the |
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county indigent litigant transportation assistance grant program |
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to support the state purpose of ensuring efficient administration |
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of justice throughout the state by providing financial assistance |
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to counties that assist indigent litigants with transportation to |
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and from court proceedings. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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county's fiscal year, the county may submit an application for a |
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grant to the comptroller. A county may submit only one application |
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each fiscal year. |
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(d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a county that |
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applies for the grant using money appropriated to the comptroller |
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for that purpose. A county that is awarded a grant shall use or |
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authorize the use of the grant money only to assist indigent |
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litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings, |
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including the purchase or reimbursement of: |
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(1) bus passes; |
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(2) motor vehicle fuel; |
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(3) rideshare service charges or taxi fares; or |
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(4) mileage. |
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(e) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section, including rules that establish: |
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(1) a standardized application process, including the |
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form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for the grant; |
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(B) disbursement of grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; |
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(3) guidelines for how grant money may be used; and |
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(4) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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a county for a purpose authorized by this section. |
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SECTION 2. A county may apply for a county indigent litigant |
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transportation assistance grant on or after January 1, 2027. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2027, the comptroller |
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of public accounts shall comply with the requirements of Section |
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130.914, Local Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2026. |