| 1 | 1 | | 88R10941 AMF-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Orr, et al. H.B. No. 3401 |
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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 certification of documents by county clerks, |
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| 8 | 8 | | district clerks, and joint county and district clerks. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 51, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 51.3033 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 51.3033. CERTIFIED COPIES. A certified copy made of an |
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| 13 | 13 | | original document on file in a district clerk's office must |
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| 14 | 14 | | include: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) on each page of the copy: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (A) the clerk's signature or initials; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (B) the district court seal; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) on the final page of the copy: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) the clerk's attestation certifying that the |
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| 20 | 20 | | copy is a true and correct copy of the original document filed in |
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| 21 | 21 | | the clerk's office; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) the number of pages copied; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (C) the date the copy was issued. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Government Code, is |
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| 25 | 25 | | amended by adding Section 51.503 to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 51.503. CERTIFIED COPIES. A certified copy made of an |
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| 27 | 27 | | original document on file in a joint clerk's office must include: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) on each page of the copy: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (A) the clerk's signature or initials; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (B) the applicable court's seal; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) on the final page of the copy: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (A) the clerk's attestation certifying that the |
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| 33 | 33 | | copy is a true and correct copy of the original document filed in |
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| 34 | 34 | | the clerk's office; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) the number of pages copied; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (C) the date the copy was issued. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. Chapter 191, Local Government Code, is amended |
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| 38 | 38 | | by adding Section 191.0041 to read as follows: |
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| 39 | 39 | | Sec. 191.0041. CERTIFIED COPIES. A certified copy made of |
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| 40 | 40 | | an original document on file in a county clerk's office must |
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| 41 | 41 | | include: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) on each page of the copy: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (A) the clerk's signature or initials; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (B) either: |
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| 45 | 45 | | (i) the commissioners court seal on a copy |
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| 46 | 46 | | of a document that is not a court document; or |
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| 47 | 47 | | (ii) the court seal on a copy of a court |
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| 48 | 48 | | document; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) on the final page of the copy: |
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| 50 | 50 | | (A) the clerk's attestation certifying that the |
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| 51 | 51 | | copy is a true and correct copy of the original document filed in |
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| 52 | 52 | | the clerk's office; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (B) the number of pages copied; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (C) the date the copy was issued. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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