| 1 | 1 | | By: Harrison H.B. No. 606 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to de novo review and interpretation of state laws and |
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| 9 | 9 | | state agency rules by reviewing court judges and administrative law |
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| 10 | 10 | | judges. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Chapter 21, Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 21.013 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 21.013. DE NOVO REVIEW OF STATE LAW PROVISION BY |
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| 15 | 15 | | REVIEWING COURT JUDGE; INTERPRETATION OF AMBIGUOUS STATE LAW |
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| 16 | 16 | | PROVISION. (a) In this section, "provision of state law" means: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) a state statute; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) a rule a state agency adopts; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) an opinion letter, manual, or other guidance |
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| 20 | 20 | | document a state agency issues interpreting the meaning, scope, or |
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| 21 | 21 | | effect of a state statute or state agency rule. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) In interpreting a provision of state law, a reviewing |
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| 23 | 23 | | court judge shall interpret the meaning and effect of the provision |
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| 24 | 24 | | de novo, without deference to a state agency's interpretation of |
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| 25 | 25 | | the provision. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) In an action brought by or against a state agency |
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| 27 | 27 | | concerning an ambiguous provision of state law, after applying all |
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| 28 | 28 | | other rules and canons of interpretation, a reviewing court judge |
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| 29 | 29 | | shall resolve the ambiguity in favor of limiting state agency |
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| 30 | 30 | | authority. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 2003, Government Code, is |
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| 32 | 32 | | amended by adding Section 2003.026 to read as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | Sec. 2003.026. DE NOVO REVIEW OF STATE LAW PROVISION IN |
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| 34 | 34 | | ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING; INTERPRETATION OF AMBIGUOUS STATE LAW |
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| 35 | 35 | | PROVISION. (a) In this section, "provision of state law" means: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) a state statute; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) a rule a state agency adopts; or |
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| 38 | 38 | | (3) an opinion letter, manual, or other guidance |
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| 39 | 39 | | document a state agency issues interpreting the meaning, scope, or |
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| 40 | 40 | | effect of a state statute or state agency rule. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b) An administrative law judge who conducts a hearing that |
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| 42 | 42 | | requires the judge to interpret a provision of state law shall |
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| 43 | 43 | | interpret the meaning and effect of the provision de novo, without |
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| 44 | 44 | | deference to a state agency's interpretation of the provision. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (c) An administrative law judge who conducts a hearing |
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| 46 | 46 | | brought by or against a state agency concerning an ambiguous |
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| 47 | 47 | | provision of state law, after applying all other rules and canons of |
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| 48 | 48 | | interpretation, shall resolve the ambiguity in favor of limiting |
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| 49 | 49 | | state agency authority. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 51 | 51 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 52 | 52 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act takes effect on September 1, 2025. |
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