Bill Text: TX HB4551 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the award of court costs and attorney's fees in certain actions challenging certain local laws or the failure of an officer of certain political subdivisions to perform certain actions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-05-02 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB4551 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB4551-Introduced.html
  86R13799 SCL-F
 
  By: Dutton H.B. No. 4551
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the award of court costs and attorney's fees in certain
  actions challenging certain local laws or the failure of an officer
  of certain political subdivisions to perform certain actions.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 2, Civil Practice and Remedies
  Code, is amended by adding Chapter 38A to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 38A. AWARD OF COURT COSTS AND ATTORNEY'S FEES IN CERTAIN
  ACTIONS
         Sec. 38A.0001.  APPLICABILITY. This chapter does not apply
  to a municipality or county with a population of less than 45,000.
         Sec. 38A.0002.  PREEMPTION CHALLENGE AGAINST POLITICAL
  SUBDIVISION. If a court determines that an order, ordinance, or
  similar measure of a political subdivision is unenforceable because
  it is preempted by the state constitution or a state statute, the
  court shall award the person prevailing in the action challenging
  the order, ordinance, or measure on that basis court costs and
  reasonable and necessary attorney's fees to be paid by the
  political subdivision.
         Sec. 38A.0003.  FAILURE OF OFFICER OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
  TO PERFORM CERTAIN ACTIONS. If a court determines that an officer
  of a political subdivision has failed to perform an act of the
  office required by the state constitution or a state statute, the
  court shall award the person prevailing in the action challenging
  the officer for failure to perform that act court costs and
  reasonable and necessary attorney's fees to be paid by the
  political subdivision for which the officer served at the time of
  the failure to perform the act.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies only to an action commenced on
  or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
feedback