BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2578 By: Walle Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that policymakers cannot adequately address the eviction crisis in Texas without good eviction data and that advocates have highlighted that the data being reported by county courts to the Texas Judicial Council (TJC) and then to the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System (OCA) is missing key information that could help paint a complete picture of the crisis. The TJC currently reports basic data about eviction cases to OCA, and larger counties and cities have robust information about eviction data available, such as the Harris County eviction database maintained by Texas Housers, but certain information, including eviction information from smaller cities and counties, remains unreported. H.B. 2578 seeks to bolster the available information related to landlord and tenant disputes by requiring the TJC to report by category each case filed in a court involving evictions or other dispute between a landlord and tenant and requiring OCA to publish information related to such cases on its website. 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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Judicial Council in SECTION 1 of this bill. ANALYSIS H.B. 2578 amends the Government Code to require a court with original or appellate jurisdiction over landlord and tenant disputes, as a component of the official monthly report submitted to the Texas Judicial Council (TJC), to report by category each case filed in the court under Property Code provisions relating to forcible entry and detainer or disputes between landlords and tenants, including the following cases: eviction suits; suits involving the disconnection of utilities; repair and remedy suits; suits involving security deposits; suits involving unlawful lockouts; suits involving the provision of security and safety devices; and any other category of suit involving a landlord or tenant brought under those applicable Property Code provisions and designated by the TJC. The bill authorizes the TJC to adopt rules as necessary to implement this requirement and requires the TJC to prescribe the categories and the procedures for reporting as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date. The bill expressly does not require a court to report landlord and tenant dispute information under the bill's provisions until after the TJC establishes those categories and procedures. H.B. 2578 requires the Office of Court Administration, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to publish on its publicly accessible website, in a format that is searchable by date and jurisdiction, information on landlord and tenant dispute cases filed in Texas courts and reported as required by the bill's provisions, including the following information for each case: the court in which the case is filed, including the precinct and county where the court is located; whether any legal counsel or agent is representing the defendant; whether any legal counsel or agent is representing the plaintiff; and the disposition of the case. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 2578
By: Walle
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 2578
By: Walle
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that policymakers cannot adequately address the eviction crisis in Texas without good eviction data and that advocates have highlighted that the data being reported by county courts to the Texas Judicial Council (TJC) and then to the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System (OCA) is missing key information that could help paint a complete picture of the crisis. The TJC currently reports basic data about eviction cases to OCA, and larger counties and cities have robust information about eviction data available, such as the Harris County eviction database maintained by Texas Housers, but certain information, including eviction information from smaller cities and counties, remains unreported. H.B. 2578 seeks to bolster the available information related to landlord and tenant disputes by requiring the TJC to report by category each case filed in a court involving evictions or other dispute between a landlord and tenant and requiring OCA to publish information related to such cases on its website.
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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Judicial Council in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS H.B. 2578 amends the Government Code to require a court with original or appellate jurisdiction over landlord and tenant disputes, as a component of the official monthly report submitted to the Texas Judicial Council (TJC), to report by category each case filed in the court under Property Code provisions relating to forcible entry and detainer or disputes between landlords and tenants, including the following cases: eviction suits; suits involving the disconnection of utilities; repair and remedy suits; suits involving security deposits; suits involving unlawful lockouts; suits involving the provision of security and safety devices; and any other category of suit involving a landlord or tenant brought under those applicable Property Code provisions and designated by the TJC. The bill authorizes the TJC to adopt rules as necessary to implement this requirement and requires the TJC to prescribe the categories and the procedures for reporting as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date. The bill expressly does not require a court to report landlord and tenant dispute information under the bill's provisions until after the TJC establishes those categories and procedures. H.B. 2578 requires the Office of Court Administration, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to publish on its publicly accessible website, in a format that is searchable by date and jurisdiction, information on landlord and tenant dispute cases filed in Texas courts and reported as required by the bill's provisions, including the following information for each case: the court in which the case is filed, including the precinct and county where the court is located; whether any legal counsel or agent is representing the defendant; whether any legal counsel or agent is representing the plaintiff; and the disposition of the case.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that policymakers cannot adequately address the eviction crisis in Texas without good eviction data and that advocates have highlighted that the data being reported by county courts to the Texas Judicial Council (TJC) and then to the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System (OCA) is missing key information that could help paint a complete picture of the crisis. The TJC currently reports basic data about eviction cases to OCA, and larger counties and cities have robust information about eviction data available, such as the Harris County eviction database maintained by Texas Housers, but certain information, including eviction information from smaller cities and counties, remains unreported. H.B. 2578 seeks to bolster the available information related to landlord and tenant disputes by requiring the TJC to report by category each case filed in a court involving evictions or other dispute between a landlord and tenant and requiring OCA to publish information related to such cases on its website.
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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Judicial Council in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2578 amends the Government Code to require a court with original or appellate jurisdiction over landlord and tenant disputes, as a component of the official monthly report submitted to the Texas Judicial Council (TJC), to report by category each case filed in the court under Property Code provisions relating to forcible entry and detainer or disputes between landlords and tenants, including the following cases:
eviction suits;
suits involving the disconnection of utilities;
repair and remedy suits;
suits involving security deposits;
suits involving unlawful lockouts;
suits involving the provision of security and safety devices; and
any other category of suit involving a landlord or tenant brought under those applicable Property Code provisions and designated by the TJC.
The bill authorizes the TJC to adopt rules as necessary to implement this requirement and requires the TJC to prescribe the categories and the procedures for reporting as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date. The bill expressly does not require a court to report landlord and tenant dispute information under the bill's provisions until after the TJC establishes those categories and procedures.
H.B. 2578 requires the Office of Court Administration, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to publish on its publicly accessible website, in a format that is searchable by date and jurisdiction, information on landlord and tenant dispute cases filed in Texas courts and reported as required by the bill's provisions, including the following information for each case:
the court in which the case is filed, including the precinct and county where the court is located;
whether any legal counsel or agent is representing the defendant;
whether any legal counsel or agent is representing the plaintiff; and
the disposition of the case.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.