Texas 2019 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2928 Introduced / Bill

Filed 03/04/2019

                    86R10397 MTB-F
 By: King of Parker H.B. No. 2928


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to jurisdiction of contested probate proceedings in
 counties without a statutory probate court or statutory county
 court.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Sections 32.003(b) and (c), Estates Code, are
 amended to read as follows:
 (b)  If more than one [a] party to a probate proceeding files
 a motion under Subsection (a), [for the assignment of a statutory
 probate court judge to hear a contested matter in the proceeding
 before] the judge of the county court [transfers the contested
 matter to a district court under this section, the county judge]
 shall grant the motion that was filed first [for the assignment of a
 statutory probate court judge and may not transfer the matter to the
 district court] unless the party that was the first to file
 withdraws the motion.
 (c)  A party to a probate proceeding may, concurrently with
 the party's initial filing in the proceeding, file an anticipatory
 [a] motion for the transfer of all contested matters in the
 proceeding to the district [assignment of a statutory probate]
 court [judge] under this section [before a matter in the proceeding
 becomes contested], and the motion is given effect as a motion for
 the transfer of all contested matters to the district [assignment
 of a statutory probate] court [judge] under Subsection (a) if any
 [the] matter in the proceeding later becomes contested, unless the
 party withdraws the motion.
 SECTION 2.  Sections 32.003(b) and (c), Estates Code, as
 amended by this Act, apply only to a probate proceeding commenced on
 or after the effective date of this Act.  A proceeding commenced
 before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
 effect on the date the proceeding was commenced, and the former law
 is continued in effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.