BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1620 By: Leach Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Legislative Council is required by Section 323.007, Government Code, to carry out a complete nonsubstantive revision of the Texas statutes. The process involves reclassifying and rearranging the statutes in a more logical order, employing a numbering system and format that will accommodate future expansion of the law, eliminating repealed, invalid, duplicative, and other ineffective provisions, and improving the draftsmanship of the law if practicableall toward promoting the stated purpose of making the statutes "more accessible, understandable, and usable" without altering the sense, meaning, or effect of the law. As part of the duties relating to continuing statutory revision, the council: monitors the acts of each session and proposes nonsubstantive codifications of laws that should be included in previously enacted codes; identifies duplicate official citations in enacted codes and proposes appropriate renumbering; identifies organizational, reference, and terminology problems in enacted codes and nonsubstantively corrects those problems; and makes necessary corrections to enacted codes to conform the codes to the source law from which they were derived. Section 43, Article III, Texas Constitution, specifically recognized this type of bill as a "revision" for purposes of the legislature's obligation under that section to provide for the revising of laws. As such a revision, the bill is not subject to the constitutional rule prohibiting more than one subject in a single bill or the rule prohibiting amendments by reference. H.B. 1620 has the purposes of: codifying without substantive change various statutes that were omitted from enacted codes; renumbering sections, subchapters, and other provisions of codes that duplicate the numbers of other sections, subchapters, or other provisions; correcting without substantive change organizational, reference, and terminology problems; and making necessary corrections to enacted codes to conform the codes to the source law from which they were derived. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 1620 amends the Agriculture Code, Business & Commerce Code, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Education Code, Family Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Human Resources Code, Insurance Code, Labor Code, Local Government Code, Natural Resources Code, Occupations Code, Parks and Wildlife Code, Penal Code, Special District Local Laws Code, Tax Code, Transportation Code, and Utilities Code to make corrections to those codes, conform other laws to those codes, and codify certain other provisions as new provisions within those codes. The bill makes various nonsubstantive amendments, including amendments to conform the codes to acts of previous legislatures, correct references and terminology, properly organize and number the law, and codify other law that properly belongs in those codes. H.B. 1620 redesignates provisions of certain of those enacted codes, as well as the Alcoholic Beverage Code, Election Code, and Water Code, and amends those codes to renumber and reletter accordingly. H.B. 1620 sets out general provisions relating to the nonsubstantive revision and codification undertaken by the bill's provisions and the repeal of certain provisions to account for and conform to those changes. H.B. 1620 repeals the following provisions to eliminate duplicate provisions and citations and to conform to certain revisions made by the bill: Section 14A.001(1) and Section 14A.054(f), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as added by Chapter 203 (S.B. 1180), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2, Chapter 624 (H.B. 4372), Section 1, Chapter 870 (H.B. 3981), Section 1, Chapter 950 (S.B. 1727), and Section 1, Chapter 984 (S.B. 2612), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 196 (S.B. 602), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2, Chapter 729 (H.B. 2660), and Section 1, Chapter 979 (S.B. 2429), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 4.001 and 12.006(a), Chapter 861 (H.B. 3474), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 7, 8, 9, and 45, Chapter 644 (H.B. 4559), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 4.01, Chapter 93 (S.B. 1527), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 7, Chapter 351 (S.B. 1179), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 697 (H.B. 1603), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, Chapter 525 (H.B. 3186), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 425 (H.B. 1819), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 4, Chapter 1021 (H.B. 5183), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 749 (H.B. 3917), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Articles 45A.451(a-1) and 45A.455, Code of Criminal Procedure; Section 7, Chapter 1033 (S.B. 24), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 543 (H.B. 3956), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Article 63.00905(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by Chapter 979 (S.B. 2429), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 15, Chapter 925 (S.B. 1566), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017; Section 54.047(f), Family Code, as amended by Chapter 1021 (H.B. 5183), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 411.1106(b-1) and (c-1), Government Code, as added by Chapter 1089 (S.B. 1192), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 840 (H.B. 2727), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; the following provisions of the Government Code, as effective April 1, 2025: o Sections 523.0255, 532.0303, and 547.0002; o Sections 525.0154 and 525.0155; and o Subchapter L, Chapter 526; Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4, Chapter 1147 (S.B. 956), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 582 (H.B. 2802), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 491 (H.B. 1283), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2.096, Chapter 765 (H.B. 4504), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 1098 (S.B. 1342), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 738 (H.B. 3265), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 944 (S.B. 1677), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2, Chapter 859 (H.B. 3466), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 4 and 5, Chapter 739 (H.B. 3286), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 551.083, Government Code; Section 133.003(5), Natural Resources Code; the following provisions of the Special District Local Laws Code: o the heading to Chapter 7939; o Subchapter A, Chapter 7939; o the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 7939; o the heading to Chapter 8370; o Subchapter A, Chapter 8370; o the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 8370; and o Section 8370.101; Section 313.007, Tax Code; and the heading to Subchapter Z, Chapter 257, Transportation Code. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1620
By: Leach
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1620
By: Leach
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Legislative Council is required by Section 323.007, Government Code, to carry out a complete nonsubstantive revision of the Texas statutes. The process involves reclassifying and rearranging the statutes in a more logical order, employing a numbering system and format that will accommodate future expansion of the law, eliminating repealed, invalid, duplicative, and other ineffective provisions, and improving the draftsmanship of the law if practicableall toward promoting the stated purpose of making the statutes "more accessible, understandable, and usable" without altering the sense, meaning, or effect of the law. As part of the duties relating to continuing statutory revision, the council: monitors the acts of each session and proposes nonsubstantive codifications of laws that should be included in previously enacted codes; identifies duplicate official citations in enacted codes and proposes appropriate renumbering; identifies organizational, reference, and terminology problems in enacted codes and nonsubstantively corrects those problems; and makes necessary corrections to enacted codes to conform the codes to the source law from which they were derived. Section 43, Article III, Texas Constitution, specifically recognized this type of bill as a "revision" for purposes of the legislature's obligation under that section to provide for the revising of laws. As such a revision, the bill is not subject to the constitutional rule prohibiting more than one subject in a single bill or the rule prohibiting amendments by reference. H.B. 1620 has the purposes of: codifying without substantive change various statutes that were omitted from enacted codes; renumbering sections, subchapters, and other provisions of codes that duplicate the numbers of other sections, subchapters, or other provisions; correcting without substantive change organizational, reference, and terminology problems; and making necessary corrections to enacted codes to conform the codes to the source law from which they were derived.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 1620 amends the Agriculture Code, Business & Commerce Code, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Education Code, Family Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Human Resources Code, Insurance Code, Labor Code, Local Government Code, Natural Resources Code, Occupations Code, Parks and Wildlife Code, Penal Code, Special District Local Laws Code, Tax Code, Transportation Code, and Utilities Code to make corrections to those codes, conform other laws to those codes, and codify certain other provisions as new provisions within those codes. The bill makes various nonsubstantive amendments, including amendments to conform the codes to acts of previous legislatures, correct references and terminology, properly organize and number the law, and codify other law that properly belongs in those codes. H.B. 1620 redesignates provisions of certain of those enacted codes, as well as the Alcoholic Beverage Code, Election Code, and Water Code, and amends those codes to renumber and reletter accordingly. H.B. 1620 sets out general provisions relating to the nonsubstantive revision and codification undertaken by the bill's provisions and the repeal of certain provisions to account for and conform to those changes. H.B. 1620 repeals the following provisions to eliminate duplicate provisions and citations and to conform to certain revisions made by the bill: Section 14A.001(1) and Section 14A.054(f), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as added by Chapter 203 (S.B. 1180), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2, Chapter 624 (H.B. 4372), Section 1, Chapter 870 (H.B. 3981), Section 1, Chapter 950 (S.B. 1727), and Section 1, Chapter 984 (S.B. 2612), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 196 (S.B. 602), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2, Chapter 729 (H.B. 2660), and Section 1, Chapter 979 (S.B. 2429), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 4.001 and 12.006(a), Chapter 861 (H.B. 3474), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 7, 8, 9, and 45, Chapter 644 (H.B. 4559), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 4.01, Chapter 93 (S.B. 1527), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 7, Chapter 351 (S.B. 1179), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 697 (H.B. 1603), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, Chapter 525 (H.B. 3186), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 425 (H.B. 1819), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 4, Chapter 1021 (H.B. 5183), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 749 (H.B. 3917), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Articles 45A.451(a-1) and 45A.455, Code of Criminal Procedure; Section 7, Chapter 1033 (S.B. 24), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 543 (H.B. 3956), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Article 63.00905(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by Chapter 979 (S.B. 2429), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 15, Chapter 925 (S.B. 1566), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017; Section 54.047(f), Family Code, as amended by Chapter 1021 (H.B. 5183), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 411.1106(b-1) and (c-1), Government Code, as added by Chapter 1089 (S.B. 1192), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 840 (H.B. 2727), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; the following provisions of the Government Code, as effective April 1, 2025: o Sections 523.0255, 532.0303, and 547.0002; o Sections 525.0154 and 525.0155; and o Subchapter L, Chapter 526; Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4, Chapter 1147 (S.B. 956), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 582 (H.B. 2802), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 491 (H.B. 1283), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2.096, Chapter 765 (H.B. 4504), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 1098 (S.B. 1342), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 738 (H.B. 3265), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 1, Chapter 944 (S.B. 1677), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 2, Chapter 859 (H.B. 3466), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Sections 4 and 5, Chapter 739 (H.B. 3286), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023; Section 551.083, Government Code; Section 133.003(5), Natural Resources Code; the following provisions of the Special District Local Laws Code: o the heading to Chapter 7939; o Subchapter A, Chapter 7939; o the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 7939; o the heading to Chapter 8370; o Subchapter A, Chapter 8370; o the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 8370; and o Section 8370.101; Section 313.007, Tax Code; and the heading to Subchapter Z, Chapter 257, Transportation Code.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Texas Legislative Council is required by Section 323.007, Government Code, to carry out a complete nonsubstantive revision of the Texas statutes. The process involves reclassifying and rearranging the statutes in a more logical order, employing a numbering system and format that will accommodate future expansion of the law, eliminating repealed, invalid, duplicative, and other ineffective provisions, and improving the draftsmanship of the law if practicableall toward promoting the stated purpose of making the statutes "more accessible, understandable, and usable" without altering the sense, meaning, or effect of the law.
As part of the duties relating to continuing statutory revision, the council:
monitors the acts of each session and proposes nonsubstantive codifications of laws that should be included in previously enacted codes;
identifies duplicate official citations in enacted codes and proposes appropriate renumbering;
identifies organizational, reference, and terminology problems in enacted codes and nonsubstantively corrects those problems; and
makes necessary corrections to enacted codes to conform the codes to the source law from which they were derived.
Section 43, Article III, Texas Constitution, specifically recognized this type of bill as a "revision" for purposes of the legislature's obligation under that section to provide for the revising of laws. As such a revision, the bill is not subject to the constitutional rule prohibiting more than one subject in a single bill or the rule prohibiting amendments by reference.
H.B. 1620 has the purposes of:
codifying without substantive change various statutes that were omitted from enacted codes;
renumbering sections, subchapters, and other provisions of codes that duplicate the numbers of other sections, subchapters, or other provisions;
correcting without substantive change organizational, reference, and terminology problems; and
making necessary corrections to enacted codes to conform the codes to the source law from which they were derived.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1620 amends the Agriculture Code, Business & Commerce Code, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Education Code, Family Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Human Resources Code, Insurance Code, Labor Code, Local Government Code, Natural Resources Code, Occupations Code, Parks and Wildlife Code, Penal Code, Special District Local Laws Code, Tax Code, Transportation Code, and Utilities Code to make corrections to those codes, conform other laws to those codes, and codify certain other provisions as new provisions within those codes. The bill makes various nonsubstantive amendments, including amendments to conform the codes to acts of previous legislatures, correct references and terminology, properly organize and number the law, and codify other law that properly belongs in those codes.
H.B. 1620 redesignates provisions of certain of those enacted codes, as well as the Alcoholic Beverage Code, Election Code, and Water Code, and amends those codes to renumber and reletter accordingly.
H.B. 1620 sets out general provisions relating to the nonsubstantive revision and codification undertaken by the bill's provisions and the repeal of certain provisions to account for and conform to those changes.
H.B. 1620 repeals the following provisions to eliminate duplicate provisions and citations and to conform to certain revisions made by the bill:
Section 14A.001(1) and Section 14A.054(f), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as added by Chapter 203 (S.B. 1180), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 2, Chapter 624 (H.B. 4372), Section 1, Chapter 870 (H.B. 3981), Section 1, Chapter 950 (S.B. 1727), and Section 1, Chapter 984 (S.B. 2612), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 196 (S.B. 602), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 2, Chapter 729 (H.B. 2660), and Section 1, Chapter 979 (S.B. 2429), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 4.001 and 12.006(a), Chapter 861 (H.B. 3474), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 7, 8, 9, and 45, Chapter 644 (H.B. 4559), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 4.01, Chapter 93 (S.B. 1527), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 7, Chapter 351 (S.B. 1179), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 697 (H.B. 1603), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, Chapter 525 (H.B. 3186), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 425 (H.B. 1819), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 4, Chapter 1021 (H.B. 5183), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 749 (H.B. 3917), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Articles 45A.451(a-1) and 45A.455, Code of Criminal Procedure;
Section 7, Chapter 1033 (S.B. 24), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 543 (H.B. 3956), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Article 63.00905(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by Chapter 979 (S.B. 2429), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 15, Chapter 925 (S.B. 1566), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017;
Section 54.047(f), Family Code, as amended by Chapter 1021 (H.B. 5183), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 411.1106(b-1) and (c-1), Government Code, as added by Chapter 1089 (S.B. 1192), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 840 (H.B. 2727), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
the following provisions of the Government Code, as effective April 1, 2025:
o Sections 523.0255, 532.0303, and 547.0002;
o Sections 525.0154 and 525.0155; and
o Subchapter L, Chapter 526;
Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4, Chapter 1147 (S.B. 956), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 582 (H.B. 2802), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 491 (H.B. 1283), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 2.096, Chapter 765 (H.B. 4504), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 1098 (S.B. 1342), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 738 (H.B. 3265), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 1, Chapter 944 (S.B. 1677), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 2, Chapter 859 (H.B. 3466), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Sections 4 and 5, Chapter 739 (H.B. 3286), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023;
Section 551.083, Government Code;
Section 133.003(5), Natural Resources Code;
the following provisions of the Special District Local Laws Code:
o the heading to Chapter 7939;
o Subchapter A, Chapter 7939;
o the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 7939;
o the heading to Chapter 8370;
o Subchapter A, Chapter 8370;
o the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 8370; and
o Section 8370.101;
Section 313.007, Tax Code; and
the heading to Subchapter Z, Chapter 257, Transportation Code.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.