Bill Text: TX SB1911 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the provision of certain self-help resources by state and county courts, including through the Internet website of a state court and in the office of the court clerk.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-12 - Effective on 9/1/17 [SB1911 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1911-Enrolled.html
S.B. No. 1911 |
|
||
relating to the provision of certain self-help resources by state | ||
and county courts, including through the Internet website of a | ||
state court and in the office of the court clerk. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 51, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 51.808 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 51.808. NOTICE OF SELF-HELP RESOURCES. (a) The clerk | ||
of each court in this state shall: | ||
(1) post on the court's Internet website, if any, a | ||
link to: | ||
(A) the self-help resources Internet website | ||
designated by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas | ||
Judicial System, in consultation with the Texas Access to Justice | ||
Commission, that includes information on: | ||
(i) lawyer referral services certified | ||
under Chapter 952, Occupations Code; | ||
(ii) the name, location, and any Internet | ||
website of any local legal aid office; and | ||
(iii) any court-affiliated self-help | ||
center serving the county in which the court is located; and | ||
(B) the State Law Library's Internet website; and | ||
(2) conspicuously display in the clerk's office in a | ||
location frequently accessed by the public a sign with the | ||
information described in Subdivision (1). | ||
(b) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial | ||
System shall prescribe the format for the information required | ||
under Subsection (a). | ||
SECTION 2. Section 323.021, Local Government Code, is | ||
amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) The commissioners court of a county by order may | ||
establish and maintain a county law library at the county seat or | ||
another location determined by the commissioners court. | ||
(c) The commissioners court of a county may establish, | ||
maintain, and operate in cooperation with other counties a joint | ||
free county law library for the benefit of the cooperating counties | ||
in the same manner that a joint county library may be established | ||
and operated under Section 323.010. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 323.023(b), Local Government Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) The clerks of the respective courts shall collect the | ||
costs and pay them to the county treasurer, or to any other official | ||
who discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county | ||
treasurer, for deposit in a fund to be known as the county law | ||
library fund. The fund may be used only for: | ||
(1) establishing the law library after the entry of | ||
the order creating it; | ||
(2) purchasing or leasing library materials, | ||
maintaining the library, or acquiring furniture, shelving, or | ||
equipment for the library; [ |
||
(3) purchasing or leasing library materials or | ||
acquiring library equipment, including computers, software, and | ||
subscriptions to obtain access to electronic research networks for | ||
use by judges in the county; or | ||
(4) establishing and maintaining a self-help center to | ||
provide resources to county residents representing themselves in | ||
legal matters. | ||
SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the Office of Court Administration of the Texas | ||
Judicial System shall prescribe the format of the information | ||
required under Section 51.808, Government Code, as added by this | ||
Act. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1911 passed the Senate on | ||
April 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that | ||
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2017, by the | ||
following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1911 passed the House, with | ||
amendment, on May 23, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145, | ||
Nays 0, two present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Approved: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Governor |