| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 5 | | relating to a notice or document sent by mail or electronic mail by |
|---|
| 8 | 6 | | a court, justice, judge, magistrate, or clerk of a judicial court. |
|---|
| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 2, Government Code, is amended |
|---|
| 11 | 9 | | by adding Chapter 80 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 10 | | CHAPTER 80. DELIVERY OF NOTICE AND DOCUMENTS |
|---|
| 13 | 11 | | Sec. 80.001. DELIVERY OF NOTICE OR DOCUMENT. A court, |
|---|
| 14 | 12 | | justice, judge, magistrate, or clerk may send any notice or |
|---|
| 15 | 13 | | document by a method authorized by Section 80.002. |
|---|
| 16 | 14 | | Sec. 80.002. AUTHORIZED DELIVERY OF NOTICE OR DOCUMENT. A |
|---|
| 17 | 15 | | court, justice, judge, magistrate, or clerk may send any notice or |
|---|
| 18 | 16 | | document using mail or electronic mail. This section applies to all |
|---|
| 19 | 17 | | civil and criminal statutes requiring delivery of a notice or |
|---|
| 20 | 18 | | document. |
|---|
| 21 | 19 | | Sec. 80.003. ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS. (a) If electronic |
|---|
| 22 | 20 | | mail is used to send a notice or document and the person who will |
|---|
| 23 | 21 | | receive the notice or document is registered with the electronic |
|---|
| 24 | 22 | | filing system established under Section 72.031, as added by Chapter |
|---|
| 25 | 23 | | 1290 (H.B. 2302), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, |
|---|
| 26 | 24 | | 2013, the court, justice, judge, magistrate, or clerk sending the |
|---|
| 27 | 25 | | notice or document must use the electronic mail address on file with |
|---|
| 28 | 26 | | the electronic filing system, if the court uses the electronic |
|---|
| 29 | 27 | | filing system. |
|---|
| 30 | 28 | | (b) If electronic mail is used to send a notice or document |
|---|
| 31 | 29 | | and the person who will receive the notice or document is not |
|---|
| 32 | 30 | | registered with the electronic filing system established under |
|---|
| 33 | 31 | | Section 72.031, as added by Chapter 1290 (H.B. 2302), Acts of the |
|---|
| 34 | 32 | | 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, or the court does not use |
|---|
| 35 | 33 | | the electronic filing system, the court, justice, judge, |
|---|
| 36 | 34 | | magistrate, or clerk must use the electronic mail address provided |
|---|
| 37 | 35 | | by the person. |
|---|
| 38 | 36 | | Sec. 80.004. MAIL. (a) The definition of mail in this |
|---|
| 39 | 37 | | chapter includes: |
|---|
| 40 | 38 | | (1) first-class mail; |
|---|
| 41 | 39 | | (2) first-class United States mail; |
|---|
| 42 | 40 | | (3) ordinary or regular mail; and |
|---|
| 43 | 41 | | (4) international first-class mail. |
|---|
| 44 | 42 | | (b) The definition of mail in this chapter does not include: |
|---|
| 45 | 43 | | (1) any form of mail that requires proof of delivery; |
|---|
| 46 | 44 | | (2) certified mail; |
|---|
| 47 | 45 | | (3) certified mail or a comparable mailing method that |
|---|
| 48 | 46 | | provides proof of delivery; |
|---|
| 49 | 47 | | (4) certified mail, restricted delivery; |
|---|
| 50 | 48 | | (5) certified mail, return receipt requested; |
|---|
| 51 | 49 | | (6) delivery by the United States Postal Service using |
|---|
| 52 | 50 | | a signature confirmation service; |
|---|
| 53 | 51 | | (7) documents delivered by common or contract |
|---|
| 54 | 52 | | carriers, including Federal Express or United Parcel Service; |
|---|
| 55 | 53 | | (8) express mail offered by the United States Postal |
|---|
| 56 | 54 | | Service; |
|---|
| 57 | 55 | | (9) first-class mail, return receipt requested; |
|---|
| 58 | 56 | | (10) freight mail; |
|---|
| 59 | 57 | | (11) interagency mail; |
|---|
| 60 | 58 | | (12) international registered mail, return receipt |
|---|
| 61 | 59 | | requested; |
|---|
| 62 | 60 | | (13) mail, return receipt requested; |
|---|
| 63 | 61 | | (14) personal service or hand delivery; |
|---|
| 64 | 62 | | (15) prepaid registered mail; |
|---|
| 65 | 63 | | (16) registered mail; |
|---|
| 66 | 64 | | (17) registered mail, return receipt requested; and |
|---|
| 67 | 65 | | (18) certified or registered mail, restricted |
|---|
| 68 | 66 | | delivery, return receipt requested. |
|---|
| 69 | 67 | | Sec. 80.005. ELECTRONIC MAIL. (a) Authorized methods of |
|---|
| 70 | 68 | | delivering a notice or document by electronic mail include: |
|---|
| 71 | 69 | | (1) electronic notice sent through the electronic |
|---|
| 72 | 70 | | filing system under Section 72.031, as added by Chapter 1290 (H.B. |
|---|
| 73 | 71 | | 2302), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013; |
|---|
| 74 | 72 | | (2) electronic notice; |
|---|
| 75 | 73 | | (3) electronic mail messages; |
|---|
| 76 | 74 | | (4) e-mail; and |
|---|
| 77 | 75 | | (5) secure electronic mail. |
|---|
| 78 | 76 | | (b) Authorized methods of delivering a notice or document by |
|---|
| 79 | 77 | | electronic mail do not include: |
|---|
| 80 | 78 | | (1) facsimiles; |
|---|
| 81 | 79 | | (2) instant messaging; |
|---|
| 82 | 80 | | (3) messages on a social network website, including |
|---|
| 83 | 81 | | Facebook and Twitter; |
|---|
| 84 | 82 | | (4) telegraphs; |
|---|
| 85 | 83 | | (5) telephone messages; |
|---|
| 86 | 84 | | (6) text messages; |
|---|
| 87 | 85 | | (7) videoconferencing; |
|---|
| 88 | 86 | | (8) voice messages; or |
|---|
| 89 | 87 | | (9) webcams. |
|---|
| 90 | 88 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
|---|