Bill Text: TX HB1930 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to landlord and tenant dispute information reported by justice courts to the Texas Judicial Council and made accessible to the public.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-04-28 - Received from the House [HB1930 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB1930-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to landlord and tenant dispute information reported by justice courts to the Texas Judicial Council and made accessible to the public.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-04-28 - Received from the House [HB1930 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB1930-Introduced.html
87R5874 ANG-D | ||
By: Walle | H.B. No. 1930 |
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relating to landlord and tenant dispute information reported by | ||
justice courts to the Office of Court Administration of the Texas | ||
Judicial System and made accessible to the public. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 71.0354 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 71.0354. LANDLORD AND TENANT DISPUTE INFORMATION: | ||
JUSTICE COURTS. As a component of the official monthly report | ||
submitted to the Office of Court Administration of the Texas | ||
Judicial System, a justice court shall report by category each case | ||
filed in the court involving a dispute between a landlord and tenant | ||
under Chapter 24, Property Code, or Title 8, Property Code, | ||
including: | ||
(1) forcible entry and detainer suits; | ||
(2) suits involving the disconnection of utilities; | ||
(3) repair and remedy suits; | ||
(4) suits involving security deposits; | ||
(5) suits involving the provision of security and | ||
safety devices; and | ||
(6) any other category of suit involving a landlord or | ||
tenant brought under Title 8, Property Code, and designated by the | ||
office. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 72.038 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 72.038. LANDLORD AND TENANT DISPUTE DATABASE. (a) The | ||
office shall establish and maintain an electronic database that | ||
contains information on cases filed in justice courts related to | ||
landlord and tenant disputes. The database must contain for each | ||
case: | ||
(1) the justice court in which the case is filed, | ||
including the precinct, municipality, and county in which the court | ||
is located; | ||
(2) if publicly available: | ||
(A) the street name, municipality, and zip code | ||
of the defendant's residence; | ||
(B) the street name, municipality, and zip code | ||
of the plaintiff's residence; | ||
(C) the tenant's address, excluding the | ||
apartment number for a tenant who lives in a multifamily apartment | ||
complex; and | ||
(D) the defendant's demographic information, | ||
including race and ethnicity; | ||
(3) any legal counsel representing the defendant; | ||
(4) the date of the hearing; | ||
(5) the disposition of the case; | ||
(6) the date judgment is issued; and | ||
(7) the judgment amount. | ||
(b) The office shall make the information required by | ||
Subsection (a) available in an electronic spreadsheet format that | ||
is easily downloaded from the office's publicly accessible Internet | ||
website and is searchable by date and jurisdiction. | ||
SECTION 3. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective | ||
date of this Act, the Office of Court Administration of the Texas | ||
Judicial System shall: | ||
(1) prescribe the categories of landlord and tenant | ||
suits a justice court is required to report under Section 71.0354, | ||
Government Code, as added by this Act, and the procedures for | ||
reporting under that section; and | ||
(2) establish the landlord and tenant dispute database | ||
as required by Section 72.038, Government Code, as added by this | ||
Act. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding Section 71.0354, Government Code, as | ||
added by this Act, a justice court is not required to report | ||
landlord and tenant dispute information under that section until | ||
after the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial | ||
System establishes the categories and procedures for reporting | ||
under that section. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |