| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the promulgation of certain forms for use in |
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| 8 | 6 | | landlord-tenant matters. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 22.019 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | Sec. 22.019. PROMULGATION OF CERTAIN LANDLORD-TENANT |
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| 13 | 11 | | FORMS. (a) The supreme court shall, as the court finds |
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| 14 | 12 | | appropriate, promulgate forms for use by individuals representing |
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| 15 | 13 | | themselves in residential landlord-tenant matters and instructions |
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| 16 | 14 | | for the proper use of each form or set of forms. |
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| 17 | 15 | | (b) The forms and instructions must: |
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| 18 | 16 | | (1) be written in plain language that is easy to |
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| 19 | 17 | | understand by the general public; |
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| 20 | 18 | | (2) clearly and conspicuously state that the form is |
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| 21 | 19 | | not a substitute for the advice of an attorney; |
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| 22 | 20 | | (3) be made readily available to the general public in |
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| 23 | 21 | | the manner prescribed by the supreme court; and |
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| 24 | 22 | | (4) be translated into the Spanish language, and the |
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| 25 | 23 | | Spanish language translation of the form must either: |
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| 26 | 24 | | (A) state that the Spanish language-translated |
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| 27 | 25 | | form is to be used solely for the purpose of assisting in |
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| 28 | 26 | | understanding the form and may not be submitted to the court, and |
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| 29 | 27 | | that the English version of the form must be submitted to the court; |
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| 30 | 28 | | or |
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| 31 | 29 | | (B) be incorporated into the English language |
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| 32 | 30 | | form in a manner that is understandable to both the court and |
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| 33 | 31 | | members of the public. |
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| 34 | 32 | | (c) The clerk of a court shall inform members of the public |
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| 35 | 33 | | of the availability of the form as appropriate and make the form |
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| 36 | 34 | | available free of charge. |
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| 37 | 35 | | (d) A court shall accept a form promulgated by the supreme |
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| 38 | 36 | | court under this section unless the form has been completed in a |
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| 39 | 37 | | manner that causes a substantive defect that cannot be cured. |
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| 40 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 39 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 40 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 41 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 478 passed the Senate on |
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| 42 | + | March 31, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. |
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| 43 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 44 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 45 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 478 passed the House on |
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| 46 | + | May 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 2, |
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| 47 | + | two present not voting. |
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| 48 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 50 | + | Approved: |
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| 51 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 52 | + | Date |
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| 53 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | + | Governor |
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