Texas House Bill HB2047

Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

• Out of House Committee: 4/5/11
• Voted on by House: 4/27/11
• Out of Senate Committee: 5/21/11
• Report Pass: 3/28/11
• Voted on by Senate: 5/25/11
• Engrossed: 4/27/11
• Governor Action: 6/17/11
• Refer: 5/3/11
• Report Pass: 5/21/11
• Enrolled: 5/27/11
• Passed: 6/17/11

Caption

Relating to service of process at the registered office of certain registered agents.

Impact

The passage of HB2047 would have a notable impact on state laws relating to service of process, particularly in terms of organizational compliance and accountability. By mandating that a representative of a registered agent is available to receive legal documents, the bill seeks to eliminate confusion and delays that may arise when such organizations fail to have an employee present. This measure is likely aimed at enhancing the reliability of service processes and ensuring that organizations are more readily accessible for legal correspondences.

Summary

House Bill 2047 aims to clarify and modernize the procedure for serving legal process to organizations that act as registered agents. This bill amends the Business Organizations Code to stipulate that any registered agent that is an organization must ensure that an employee is present at their registered office during normal business hours to receive service of process, notices, or demands. This change is intended to streamline the service of legal documents and improve the efficiency of the notification process for legal proceedings involving such organizations.

Contention

While the bill appears to have a straightforward purpose, some concerns may arise regarding the implications of this requirement for smaller organizations that may not have the resources to accommodate such a policy consistently. Additionally, there may be debates over what constitutes appropriate staffing and the definitions of 'normal business hours.' However, these discussions were not widely reported in the available documentation. Overall, the bill represents a legislative effort to adapt to the logistical challenges posed by service of process in an evolving business environment.