By: Thompson of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 2710
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 2015;
May 14, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; May 22, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 22, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the duty of an attorney ad litem to locate and represent
a defendant in a suit to collect a delinquent ad valorem tax.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 33, Tax Code, is amended by
adding Section 33.475 to read as follows:
Sec. 33.475. ATTORNEY AD LITEM REPORT; APPROVAL OF FEES.
(a) In a suit to collect a delinquent tax, an attorney ad litem
appointed by a court to represent the interests of a defendant
served with process by means of citation by publication or posting
shall submit to the court a report describing the actions taken by
the attorney ad litem to locate and represent the interests of the
defendant.
(b) The court may not approve the fees of the attorney ad
litem until the attorney ad litem submits the report required by
this section and the court determines that the actions taken by the
attorney ad litem as described in the report were sufficient to
discharge the attorney's duties to the defendant.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
an attorney ad litem appointed to represent the interests of a
defendant in a delinquent tax suit on or after the effective date of
this Act. An attorney ad litem appointed to represent the interests
of a defendant in a delinquent tax suit before the effective date of
this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the attorney
was appointed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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