| 1 | 1 | | 84R15417 EES-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Geren H.B. No. 1531 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1531: |
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| 4 | 4 | | By: Larson C.S.H.B. No. 1531 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the making and receiving of referrals for legal |
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| 10 | 10 | | services by certain legislators and executive officers; creating a |
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| 11 | 11 | | criminal offense. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 572, Government Code, is |
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| 14 | 14 | | amended by adding Section 572.063 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 572.063. CERTAIN REFERRALS FOR LEGAL SERVICES |
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| 16 | 16 | | PROHIBITED. (a) A member of the legislature or an executive |
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| 17 | 17 | | officer elected in a statewide election who is a member of the State |
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| 18 | 18 | | Bar of Texas or who is licensed to practice law in another state, a |
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| 19 | 19 | | federal court, or a United States territory may make or receive a |
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| 20 | 20 | | referral for legal services for monetary compensation or any other |
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| 21 | 21 | | benefit only if the referral: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) complies with the rules of the State Bar of Texas; |
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| 23 | 23 | | and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) is evidenced by a written contract between the |
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| 25 | 25 | | parties who are subject to the referral. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) A person commits an offense if the person violates this |
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| 27 | 27 | | section. An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 29 | 29 | | to conduct that occurred on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Conduct that occurred before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 31 | 31 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, and |
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| 32 | 32 | | the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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| 33 | 33 | | purposes of this section, conduct occurred before the effective |
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| 34 | 34 | | date of this Act if any part of the conduct occurred before that |
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| 35 | 35 | | date. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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