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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to unclaimed property. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 72, Property Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 72.1025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 72.1025. CLASS ACTION PROCEEDS. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Class action proceeds" means a negotiable |
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instrument, including a check, or other intangible property issued |
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or made payable to a person who is a member of the class or a |
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participant in the class action to satisfy, wholly or partly, a |
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judgment in a class action or a class action settlement agreement. |
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(2) "Holder" means a court, a settlement |
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administrator, or any other person in possession of class action |
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proceeds at the time the proceeds are presumed abandoned. |
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(b) Class action proceeds are presumed abandoned if the |
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proceeds are unclaimed on or before the 90th day after the date the |
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proceeds were made payable and available to the members of the |
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class, unless a different abandonment period is established by the |
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court or the settlement agreement. |
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(c) Notwithstanding Sections 74.101(a) and 74.301(a), a |
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holder shall deliver class action proceeds, accompanied by a |
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property report under Section 74.101, to the comptroller not later |
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than the 60th day after the date the proceeds are presumed |
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abandoned. |
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(d) Sections 74.1011 and 74.103 do not apply to a holder |
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under this section. |
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(e) To the extent this section conflicts with any other law, |
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this section controls. |
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SECTION 2. Section 74.501, Property Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (d) and (e) and adding Subsections (d-1) and |
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(e-1) to read as follows: |
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(d) On receipt of a claim form and all necessary |
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documentation and as may be appropriate under the circumstances, |
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the comptroller may approve the claim of: |
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(1) the reported owner of the property; |
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(2) if the reported owner died testate: |
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(A) the appropriate legal beneficiaries of the |
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owner as provided by the last will and testament of the owner that |
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has been accepted into probate or filed as a muniment of title; or |
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(B) the executor of the owner's last will and |
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testament who holds current letters testamentary; |
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(3) if the reported owner died intestate: |
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(A) the legal heirs of the owner as provided by |
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Section 38, Texas Probate Code; or |
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(B) the court-appointed administrator of the |
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owner's estate; |
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(4) the legal heirs of the reported owner as |
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established by an affidavit of heirship order signed by a judge of |
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the county probate court or by a county judge; |
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(5) if the reported owner is a minor child or an adult |
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who has been adjudged incompetent by a court of law, the parent or |
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legal guardian of the child or adult; |
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(6) if the reported owner is an active [a] |
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corporation: |
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(A) the president of the corporation or chair or |
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officer of the board of directors of the corporation, on behalf of |
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the corporation; [or] |
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(B) any person who is legally authorized by the |
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corporation, through the corporation's bylaws or a resolution of |
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the corporation's board of directors, [has legal authority] to act |
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on behalf of the corporation; or |
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(C) the corporation's bankruptcy trustee or |
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other person under current appointment by the bankruptcy court to |
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manage the corporation's bankruptcy estate, if the corporation is |
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or has been a debtor in bankruptcy; |
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(7) if the reported owner is a domestic entity, as |
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defined by Section 1.002, Business Organizations Code, |
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[corporation] that has been dissolved, terminated as provided by |
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Section 11.251 of that code, or liquidated or is a foreign entity, |
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as defined by Section 1.002 of that code, whose registration to |
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transact business in this state has been revoked: |
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(A) the sole surviving shareholder or owner of |
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the entity [corporation], if there is only one surviving |
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shareholder or owner; |
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(B) the surviving shareholders or owners of the |
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entity [corporation] in proportion to their ownership of the entity |
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[corporation], if there is more than one surviving shareholder or |
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owner; |
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(C) the entity's [corporation's] bankruptcy |
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trustee or other person under current appointment by the bankruptcy |
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court to manage the entity's bankruptcy estate; [or] |
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(D) a receiver appointed for a domestic entity by |
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a court under Section 11.404 or 11.405, Business Organizations |
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Code, or other law, except a receiver described by Subsection (e) |
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[the court-ordered receiver for the corporation]; or |
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(E) a receiver appointed for a foreign entity by |
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a court under Section 11.410, Business Organizations Code, or other |
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law, except a receiver described by Subsection (e); or |
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(8) any other person authorized [that is entitled] to |
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receive the unclaimed property under rules adopted by the |
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comptroller [other law or comptroller policy]. |
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(d-1) In Subsection (d)(6), "active corporation" means: |
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(1) a domestic corporation that is not a terminated |
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entity, as defined by Section 11.001, Business Organizations Code, |
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and has not been terminated under the corporation's governing |
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documents; or |
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(2) a foreign entity, as defined by Section 1.002, |
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Business Organizations Code, that is registered or otherwise |
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authorized to transact business in this state under Chapter 9, |
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Business Organizations Code. |
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(e) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), except [Except] as |
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provided by Subsection (f), the comptroller may not pay to the |
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following persons a claim to which this section applies: |
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(1) a creditor, a judgment creditor, a lienholder, or |
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an assignee of the reported owner or of the owner's heirs; [or] |
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(2) a person holding a power of attorney from the |
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reported owner or the owner's heirs; or |
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(3) a receiver, agent, assignee, representative, or |
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other person acting on behalf of a person described by Subdivision |
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(1). |
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(e-1) The comptroller may challenge the validity of a |
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receivership order in the court that issued the order or in a |
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district court in Travis County. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Section 72.1025, Property Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to proceeds from a class action commenced on |
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or after the effective date of this Act. Proceeds from a class |
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action commenced before the effective date of this Act are governed |
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by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this |
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Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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(b) Section 74.501, Property Code, as amended by this Act, |
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applies only to a claim for unclaimed property filed on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. A claim filed before the effective date |
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of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the |
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effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |