| 1 | 1 | | 88R18843 JTZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Walle, Garcia H.B. No. 1841 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to landlord and tenant dispute information reported by |
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| 8 | 8 | | courts to the Texas Judicial Council and made accessible to the |
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| 9 | 9 | | public. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 71.0354 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 71.0354. LANDLORD AND TENANT DISPUTE INFORMATION: |
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| 14 | 14 | | COURTS. (a) As a component of the official monthly report |
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| 15 | 15 | | submitted under Section 71.035, a court with original or appellate |
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| 16 | 16 | | jurisdiction over landlord and tenant disputes shall report by |
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| 17 | 17 | | category each case filed in the court under Chapter 24, Property |
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| 18 | 18 | | Code, or Title 8, Property Code, including: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) eviction suits; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) suits involving the disconnection of utilities; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) repair and remedy suits; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (4) suits involving security deposits; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (5) suits involving unlawful lockouts; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (6) suits involving the provision of security and |
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| 25 | 25 | | safety devices; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (7) any other category of suit involving a landlord or |
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| 27 | 27 | | tenant brought under Title 8, Property Code, and designated by the |
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| 28 | 28 | | council. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) The council may adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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| 30 | 30 | | this section. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is |
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| 32 | 32 | | amended by adding Section 72.0345 to read as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | Sec. 72.0345. LANDLORD AND TENANT DISPUTE INFORMATION. (a) |
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| 34 | 34 | | The office shall publish on the publicly accessible Internet |
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| 35 | 35 | | website the office maintains information on landlord and tenant |
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| 36 | 36 | | dispute cases filed in courts in this state. The information must |
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| 37 | 37 | | include for each case: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) the court in which the case is filed, including the |
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| 39 | 39 | | precinct and county where the court is located; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) whether any legal counsel or agent is representing |
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| 41 | 41 | | the defendant; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (3) whether any legal counsel or agent is representing |
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| 43 | 43 | | the plaintiff; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (4) the disposition of the case. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (b) The office shall make the information required by |
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| 46 | 46 | | Subsection (a) available on the Internet website in a format that is |
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| 47 | 47 | | searchable by date and jurisdiction. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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| 49 | 49 | | date of this Act: |
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| 50 | 50 | | (1) the Texas Judicial Council shall prescribe the |
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| 51 | 51 | | categories of landlord and tenant suits a court is required to |
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| 52 | 52 | | report under Section 71.0354, Government Code, as added by this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act, and the procedures for reporting under that section; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (2) the Office of Court Administration of the Texas |
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| 55 | 55 | | Judicial System shall publish in a searchable format on the |
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| 56 | 56 | | publicly accessible Internet website the office maintains the |
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| 57 | 57 | | landlord and tenant dispute information as required by Section |
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| 58 | 58 | | 72.0345, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (b) Notwithstanding Section 71.0354, Government Code, as |
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| 60 | 60 | | added by this Act, a court is not required to report landlord and |
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| 61 | 61 | | tenant dispute information under that section until after the Texas |
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| 62 | 62 | | Judicial Council establishes the categories and procedures for |
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| 63 | 63 | | reporting under that section. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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