| 1 | 1 | | 89R14620 EAS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2091 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study on effective case management practices and |
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| 10 | 10 | | procedures for courts in guardianship proceedings. |
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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. (a) In this section: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Guardianship proceeding" has the meaning |
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| 14 | 14 | | assigned by Section 1002.015, Estates Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Office" means the Office of Court Administration |
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| 16 | 16 | | of the Texas Judicial System. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) Using available resources, the office shall conduct a |
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| 18 | 18 | | study on effective case management practices and procedures for |
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| 19 | 19 | | courts in guardianship proceedings in this state. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) The office shall: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) use the findings of the study to establish |
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| 22 | 22 | | standardized case management practices for courts hearing |
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| 23 | 23 | | guardianship proceedings; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) prepare a report based on the study conducted |
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| 25 | 25 | | under this section. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) The report under Subsection (c)(2) must include: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) an evaluation of: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (A) the cost of adopting an electronic case |
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| 29 | 29 | | management system for use by courts in guardianship proceedings; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (B) whether the use of an electronic case |
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| 31 | 31 | | management system should be mandatory or permissive on the courts; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (C) what fields, data, and other elements should |
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| 33 | 33 | | be included in the electronic case management system; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (D) the potential difficulties in implementing |
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| 35 | 35 | | the electronic case management system, including specific barriers |
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| 36 | 36 | | for use of the system by each type of court to which the system would |
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| 37 | 37 | | apply, including statutory probate courts, constitutional county |
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| 38 | 38 | | courts, statutory county courts, and district courts; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) any other information the office considers helpful |
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| 40 | 40 | | in assessing the value or necessity of implementing the electronic |
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| 41 | 41 | | case management system; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (3) legislative and other recommendations for |
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| 43 | 43 | | implementation of the most effective case management practices and |
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| 44 | 44 | | procedures for courts hearing guardianship proceedings. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (e) Not later than September 1, 2027, the office shall |
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| 46 | 46 | | submit the report required under Subsection (c)(2) of this section |
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| 47 | 47 | | to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of |
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| 48 | 48 | | representatives, and appropriate standing committees of the |
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| 49 | 49 | | legislature. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (f) This section expires January 1, 2028. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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