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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, "grant" means a |
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grant authorized to be awarded by the comptroller under the county |
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indigent litigant transportation assistance grant program |
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established by this section. |
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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. Indigent litigants include persons who |
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are civil litigants, criminal defendants, respondents, or the |
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subject of a legal proceeding, and also includes persons having |
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custody of a person who is a civil litigant, criminal defendant, |
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respondent, or the subject of a civil, criminal, or juvenile |
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matter. |
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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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(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, 2026. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2026, 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, 2025. |