| 1 | 1 | | 88R9746 AMF-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Allison H.B. No. 2567 |
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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 the creation of Probate Court No. 3 of Bexar County, |
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| 8 | 8 | | Texas, and the administration of the statutory probate courts in |
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| 9 | 9 | | Bexar County. |
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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. Section 25.0171(c), Government Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 12 | | to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (c) Bexar County also has the following statutory probate |
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| 14 | 14 | | courts: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) Probate Court No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas; [and] |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) Probate Court No. 2 of Bexar County, Texas; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (3) Probate Court No. 3 of Bexar County, Texas. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Section 25.0173, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 19 | 19 | | amending Subsections (a) and (o) and adding Subsection (p) to read |
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| 20 | 20 | | as follows: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a) A statutory probate court in Bexar County has the |
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| 22 | 22 | | general jurisdiction of a probate court as provided by Section |
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| 23 | 23 | | 25.0021. Probate Courts Nos. 1, [and] 2, and 3 have eminent domain |
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| 24 | 24 | | jurisdiction and jurisdiction to decide the issue of title to real |
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| 25 | 25 | | or personal property. Notwithstanding the local rules adopted |
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| 26 | 26 | | under Section 74.093, the county clerk shall docket all eminent |
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| 27 | 27 | | domain cases equally among [in] Probate Courts Nos. [Court No.] 1, |
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| 28 | 28 | | [and Probate Court No.] 2, and 3. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (o) Notwithstanding the local rules adopted under Section |
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| 30 | 30 | | 74.093, the county clerk shall: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) docket all mental health matters in Probate Court |
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| 32 | 32 | | No. 1; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) assign equally among the statutory probate courts |
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| 34 | 34 | | in Bexar County and [shall] docket at random all other matters and |
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| 35 | 35 | | proceedings filed in the statutory probate courts in Bexar County |
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| 36 | 36 | | [even-numbered probate cases in Probate Court No. 2 and all |
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| 37 | 37 | | odd-numbered probate cases in Probate Court No. 1]. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (p) Notwithstanding Section 25.0022(h), in the absence, |
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| 39 | 39 | | disqualification, or incapacity of a statutory probate judge in |
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| 40 | 40 | | Bexar County or on the judge's request, the statutory probate |
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| 41 | 41 | | judges in Bexar County may sit and act for each other in any probate |
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| 42 | 42 | | matter or proceeding. A statutory probate judge in Bexar County |
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| 43 | 43 | | may: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) hear and determine any matter or proceeding |
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| 45 | 45 | | pending in another statutory probate court in Bexar County; or |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) enter any order in the matter or proceeding that |
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| 47 | 47 | | the judge of the other statutory probate court in Bexar County may |
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| 48 | 48 | | enter. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. Section 25.0173(j), Government Code, is |
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| 50 | 50 | | repealed. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 4. The Probate Court No. 3 of Bexar County, Texas, |
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| 52 | 52 | | is created on September 1, 2023. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 5. Notwithstanding Section 25.0173, Government |
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| 54 | 54 | | Code, as amended by this Act, the county clerk for Bexar County |
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| 55 | 55 | | shall assign to Probate Court No. 3 of Bexar County, Texas, |
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| 56 | 56 | | one-third of all cases pending on the effective date of this Act in |
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| 57 | 57 | | Probate Court No. 1 of Bexar County, Texas, and Probate Court No. 2 |
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| 58 | 58 | | of Bexar County, Texas, that were filed before January 1, 2020. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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