By: S. Davis of Harris, et al. H.B. No. 1559
(Senate Sponsor - Huffman)
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2011;
May 3, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
Jurisprudence; May 12, 2011, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 12, 2011, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the retention, storage, and destruction of certain
court documents.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 441, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter B to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER B. COURT DOCUMENTS
Sec. 441.025. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Commission" means the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission.
(2) "Court document" means any instrument, document,
paper, or other record filed with, otherwise presented to, or
produced by a court in this state.
Sec. 441.026. RETENTION, STORAGE, AND DESTRUCTION OF
CERTAIN COURT DOCUMENTS. (a) The commission shall adopt rules for
the retention, storage, and destruction of a court document filed
with, otherwise presented to, or produced by a court in this state
before January 1, 1951.
(b) A court in this state may not destroy a court document
described by Subsection (a) except as provided by rules of the
commission.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
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