Transcript Highlights:

• That the Dean of the Senate laid out for us relating to the jurisdiction of a court in a suit to divide
• 2524, Representative Cook's bill sponsored by Vice Chair Senator Johnson, about the recovery of fees, court
• 2524, Representative Cook's bill sponsored by Vice Chair Senator Johnson, About the recovery of fees, court
• the House is, of course, the bill that deals with updating and continuing to refine our business courts

Bills: HB40, HB1916, HB1973, HB2524, HB2530, HB3180, HB3421, HB3783, HB4170, HB4213

Keywords: business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, divorce, property division, family law, court jurisdiction, marital assets, parent-child relationship, birth certificate, identity proof, Family Code, court process, attorney fees, court costs, legal expenses, dispute resolution, child support

Summary: The committee considered several House bills dealing with family law and civil procedure. House Bill 1916, concerning a court’s jurisdiction in suits to divide property not divided on dissolution of marriage, was reported favorably on a 4-0 vote and recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. House Bill 1973, addressing proof of the identity of a child’s parents in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, was also adopted with a committee substitute, reported favorably 4-0, and sent to the local and uncontested calendar. House Bill 2524, on recovery of fees, court costs, and expenses in family law proceedings, and House Bill 2530, on special appointments in suits affecting the parent-child relationship, each received favorable 4-0 votes and were likewise recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up House Bill 3180, which was reported favorably 4-0 and recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. The most detailed discussion centered on House Bill 40, relating to updates to business courts. Senator Hughes explained a committee amendment that made conforming changes requested by the Finance Committee and removed language creating two new judgeships, replacing it with a different judge allocation. The amendment was adopted, the amended committee substitute was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably on a 4-0 vote and sent to the local and uncontested calendar. At the end of the meeting, members briefly clarified procedural details about the House Bill 40 amendment and then closed out the agenda. The committee also noted a correction to an earlier reference to Bartleby the Scrivener, and the Chair recessed the Committee on Jurisprudence subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you asked the question about whether a court can find— a court can find, and I'll tell you, in every
• If a court wants to order therapy between the non-custodial parent and the child, the court can certainly
• In my capacity as the judge of the family court, I handle... Family court of Hayes County, Texas.
• Obviously, the court has discretion to make changes as the court sees fit.
• Again, we give courts a lot of discretion, but there’s also a lot of the “court may not,” the “court

Bills: HB40, HB1916, HB1973, HB2524, HB2530, HB3180, HB3421, HB3783, HB4170, HB4213

Keywords: business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, divorce, property division, family law, court jurisdiction, marital assets, parent-child relationship, birth certificate, identity proof, Family Code, court process, attorney fees, court costs, legal expenses, dispute resolution, child support

Summary: The committee heard several House bills, most of them relating to family law and court procedure, and left each bill pending after testimony. House Bill 1916 would clarify that the court that issued a final divorce decree retains exclusive jurisdiction over later actions involving undivided property. House Bill 1973 would require a certified birth certificate, if reasonably available, to be filed with a SAPCR petition or allow alternative proof of parentage while keeping the information confidential. House Bill 2530 would add qualifications and procedural safeguards for appointing amicus attorneys in SAPCR cases, including notice and hearing requirements, minimum qualifications, conflict rules, and limits on what amicus attorneys may do. House Bill 2524 would make Family Code references to attorney’s fees consistent by using “reasonable and necessary” language. House Bill 3180 would correct a scrivener’s error in the civil discovery rules by changing “settlement” to “statement.” The committee also heard House Bill 4213, which would change the interest rate on overdue child support from the current 6 percent simple interest to a fixed 5 percent and require the Attorney General to report on the impact of the change. Testimony was sharply divided: supporters argued lower interest could improve collections and help low-income obligors catch up, citing research and the size of child-support arrearages; opponents said lowering the rate would reduce incentives to pay and harm custodial parents and children. The Attorney General’s office raised implementation concerns about a House version that would have created a variable rate, while the committee substitute was described as restoring a simple fixed rate. After testimony, the bill was left pending. The committee also discussed House Bill 40, updating business court provisions and supplemental jurisdiction; House Bill 3421, streamlining probate procedures for original wills and copies; and House Bill 417, clarifying venue for lawsuits involving private transfer fees on real property. Each drew limited testimony and was left pending. Finally, House Bill 3783 drew extensive testimony on court-ordered counseling and reunification therapy in family cases. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would protect children and abuse victims from coercive, unregulated reunification practices, while opponents argued it was too broad, could interfere with legitimate therapy and judicial discretion, and might affect military families and other high-conflict cases. The committee heard testimony from judges, therapists, parents, survivors, and advocates, but took no final action and left the bill pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• 2524, Representative Cook's bill sponsored by Vice Chair Senator Johnson, about the recovery of fees, court
• This is, of course, that bill that deals with updating and continuing to refine our business courts.

Bills: HB40, HB40, HB1916, HB1973, HB2524, HB2530, HB3180, HB3421, HB3783, HB4170, HB4213

Keywords: law enforcement, sheriffs, constables, contracts, county authority, business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, divorce, property division, family law, court jurisdiction, marital assets, parent-child relationship, birth certificate, identity proof, Family Code, court process

Transcript Highlights:

• To the court remains confidential. There is a court committee substitute, Mr. Chairman.
• If a court wants to order therapy between the non-custodial parent and the child, the court can certainly
• I have the honor of serving as the judge of the family court. Court of Hays County, Texas.
• The court has discretion to make changes as the court sees fit.
• But there's also a lot of the court may not, the court shall not.

Bills: HB40, HB1916, HB1973, HB2524, HB2530, HB3180, HB3421, HB3783, HB4170, HB4213, HB40

Keywords: business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, divorce, property division, family law, court jurisdiction, marital assets, parent-child relationship, birth certificate, identity proof, Family Code, court process, attorney fees, court costs, legal expenses, dispute resolution, child support

Transcript Highlights:

• . actions. actions.
• court reviewing?
• court reviewing?
• It's it's court review remedy to court.
• Before the court.

Bills: HB0066, HJ0005, HB0010

Keywords: administrative law, judicial review, agency deference, Chevron deference, de novo review, state agencies, regulatory interpretation, statutory interpretation, separation of powers, individual liberty, administrative procedure, agency action, Wyoming Supreme Court, district court review, oil and gas inspector, regulatory challenge, anti-deference, law enforcement, memorial, Patrolman Rosa

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, a court does not have the power to divide the land by using the condominium statute, and
• I'm here to ask you to update the law to give the... ...court the authority to use the condominium statute
• And I've got a copy of the order from the court, a picture of the house... ...of the order from the court
• And the reason the courts, in my opinion, the reason the courts decided not to allow condominium conversions
• And the reason the courts, in my opinion, in my opinion, the reason the courts decided not to allow condominium

Bills: H5314

Keywords: condominium conversion, co-owned property, tenants in common, two-unit building, duplex, partition action, Land Court, chapter 183A, chapter 241, master deed, shared ownership, housing, property law, real estate, easements, common areas, common expenses, condominium ownership, small multifamily housing, 1212

Transcript Highlights:

• or appeal action brought to the Superior Court if the employer failed to reinstate the officer after
• And not only does the court have a rule that the Superior Court costs would be covered, but also the
• And it forces the officer then to appeal to Superior Court.
• costs, as reviewed and approved by the court.
• Chair, Representative, in the case of a Superior Court hearing, the courts have their own rules, and

Bills: SB1216, SB1391, SB1493, SB1520

Keywords: trauma, public safety, counseling, mental health, employee benefits, law enforcement, stress management, suicide prevention, workforce readiness, disciplinary action, appeals, termination, superior court, investigative process, reinstatement, immigration, data sharing, federal government, undocumented immigrants, visa overstays

Transcript Highlights:

• I am from Rural Arizona Action.
• , if the nuisance action is dismissed by the court, is found not to have merit, and if the Attorney General
• It has to be also on our side, or the side of the victim of her actions, has to be proven in court.
• court, I mean the highest office.
• If the court, if the nuisance action is dismissed by the court, we're found not to have merit and that

Bills: HB2167, HB2168, HB2169, HB2171, HB2790, HB2905, HCM2005

Keywords: attorney general, nuisance action, consumer fraud, damages, civil penalty, public nuisance, nuisance abatement, abatement action, injunction, superior court, county attorney, city attorney, board of supervisors, obscenity, obscene materials, adult materials, pornography, schools, parks, residential district

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate that it's crafted in such a way that it's for private rights of action in state courts for
• If you create a state cause of action, most likely it would be enforced in federal court.
• Community courts, Dorchester District Court, and Roxbury District Court were the first district courts
• Community courts, Dorchester District Court, Roxbury District Court, they were the first district courts
• The trial courts have indicated that over 600 people were arrested at court in 2025.

Bills: H4783, H4826, H4876, H5111, H5116, H5244, S2975, S2976

Keywords: homelessness, homeless, unsheltered, unhoused, shelter rights, anti-camping, anti-loitering, public space, public land, encampment, sleeping in public, life-sustaining activities, right to rest, right to sleep, vehicle dwelling, RV living, tiny home, civil rights, municipal liability, affirmative defense

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a late-file hearing on several bills. Early testimony focused on H.4876, a bill to strengthen supports for survivors of abuse, including limits on abusers’ legal standing after death, survivor notification when an abuser dies, expanded coercive control definitions, stronger privacy protections, and survivor education and resource programs. A representative testified on behalf of a constituent who could not appear publicly, describing how a lifetime restraining order and a family death exposed gaps in current law and arguing that an abuser should not be treated as next of kin for legal purposes. The committee also heard H.5111, which would strengthen the Massachusetts Antitrust Act. Representative sponsors and the Attorney General’s antitrust chief said the bill would let the state enforce antitrust law even when federal authorities are involved, expand jurisdiction over multistate conduct affecting Massachusetts, increase penalties, clarify that invitations to conspire are violations, codify labor-market protections, remove limits affecting some housing transactions, and extend the statute of limitations. Senators and the AG’s office said the bill is needed because federal enforcement is weakening. The committee also took testimony on S.2976, a related constitutional-rights bill creating a state cause of action for violations by federal officers; supporters said it would fill a gap in remedies and preserve qualified immunity defenses. Other bills drew support from advocacy groups and individuals. H.4783, which would reaffirm the rights of people experiencing homelessness, was backed by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless as a response to encampment bans and criminalization of basic survival activities. H.4826, dealing with condominium owners’ rights, drew testimony that Chapter 183A is outdated and leaves owners with too little access to information and too few nonjudicial remedies, with examples of unresolved water and repair problems in condo communities. H.5244, to repeal archaic laws criminalizing pregnancy, was supported by reproductive justice advocates who said the remaining statute is being used to punish pregnancy loss and should be repealed. A large portion of the hearing was devoted to H.5116, naming the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court the Judge Leslie E. Harris Courthouse. Rep. Chris Worrell, Senators Collins and Miranda, District Attorney Kevin Hayden, community leaders, legal professionals, and members of Judge Harris’s family described him as a compassionate, community-rooted jurist and mentor who advanced second chances, diversity, and youth support. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chairs repeatedly invited written testimony and noted the committee’s reporting deadline for House bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has recently spoken on this, and the Supreme Court was very clear.
• House Bill 1366 relates to justices and judges of state courts, judicial officers, and certain court
• In family court, this happens daily.
• I can tell you right now, 10 years into family court, I walk into court now, and it's no longer, 'Mr.
• Right now, courts like Judge Amado Abascal's 365th District Court in Maverick County are drowning in

Bills: HB 1181, HB3704, HB1363, HB1610, HB1615, HB1620, HB3223, HB1317, HB2884, HB2176, HB4027, HB1664, HB933, HB2613, HB3353, HB2086, HB4101, HB3441, HB4145, HB3455

Keywords: judiciary, judges, justices, retired, legal assignments, judicial conduct, notary public, criminal offense, education requirements, official documents, record retention, implicit bias, bias training, judicial training, judge education, court personnel, continuing legal education, CLE, state bar, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Transcript Highlights:

• . courts, the Supreme Court of Texas and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
• When the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Supreme Court disagree.
• Today when you have specialty courts, probate courts, civil courts, you have a court that answers. or
• courts.
• . court and the Texas Supreme Court disagrees with the Court of Criminal Appeals constitutional interpretation

Bills: HB 1181, HB3704, HB1363, HB1610, HB1615, HB1620, HB3223, HB1317, HB2884, HB2176, HB4027, HB1664, HB933, HB2613, HB3353, HB2086, HB4101, HB3441, HB4145, HB3455

Keywords: judiciary, judges, justices, retired, legal assignments, judicial conduct, notary public, criminal offense, education requirements, official documents, record retention, implicit bias, bias training, judicial training, judge education, court personnel, continuing legal education, CLE, state bar, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Transcript Highlights:

• Supreme Court Justice visit in the works.
• Supreme Court Justice visit in the works.
• I'm not, and I'll admit that, but I'm a great advocate in court and I'm somebody who can go to court
• I'm not, and I'll admit that, but I'm a great advocate in court and I'm somebody who can go to court
• But yes so many tribal courts.

Bills: SB1, SB3

Keywords: interstate medical licensure compact, physician licensure, medical license reciprocity, expedited licensure, medical practice act, New Mexico medical board, compact commission, physician mobility, telemedicine, license portability, background check, disciplinary action, joint investigation, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, scope of practice, medical board transparency, multistate compact, licensure renewal, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• My dad sat on the district court.
• Originally, it was just the courts in D.C. and a federal court.
• The last sentence had to do with—it said the court shall give deference to the actions of the Interstate
• by the court.
• So that would trigger going to a court to get a court order to withdraw. Thank you, Senator and Mr.

Bills: SB1, SB3

Keywords: interstate medical licensure compact, physician licensure, medical license reciprocity, expedited licensure, medical practice act, New Mexico medical board, compact commission, physician mobility, telemedicine, license portability, background check, disciplinary action, joint investigation, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, scope of practice, medical board transparency, multistate compact, licensure renewal, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• And of course, it also provides a private cause of action in case court becomes necessary, but as Mr.
• Also, I've seen several cases where the appellate courts have sent cases back to the trial court and
• But it says the court has to approve it.
• Well, the court, the only thing that the court can look at is whether or not they approve it.
• The Statutory Probate Courts support this bill.

Bills: SB1960, SB1730, SB766, SB2342, SB2501, SB2903

Keywords: digital rights, replication, Voice likeness, visual likeness, private causes of action, fee structure, online service providers, postmortem rights, self-defense, stand your ground, castle doctrine, use of force, deadly force, civil immunity, civil liability, tort claims, attorney fees, court costs, lost income, Chapter 9 Penal Code

Transcript Highlights:

• We have early disposition courts.
• And it was struck down in the courts.
• Court compared to settling out of court, and they're a big enough company to be able to handle that.
• actions without legitimate legal basis.
• actions without legitimate legal basis.

Bills: HB2109, HB2168, HB2198, HB2226, HB2415, HB2440, HB2665, HB2805, HB2811, HB2825, HB2857, HB2874, HB2966, HB4067, HB4117, HCR2001, HCR2016, HCR2051

Keywords: distracted driving, portable wireless communication devices, motorcycles, traffic safety, civil penalties, public nuisance, nuisance abatement, abatement action, injunction, superior court, attorney general, county attorney, city attorney, board of supervisors, obscenity, obscene materials, adult materials, pornography, schools, parks

Transcript Highlights:

• We had to go back to the Dallas Probate Court, I mean the Dallas Appeals Court.
• You and I know the difference between being in federal court and being in state court.
• Then they file a notice with the trial court and the Supreme Court.
• The court resisted taking any action.
• court.

Bills: HB4011, HB2680, HB4325, HB4327, HB4944, HB1761, HB4688, HB3453, HB40, HB1707, HB4749, HB2322, HB3647, HB4139, HB4081, HB2203, HB2100, HB4170, HB3104, HB4623, HB40

Keywords: partition, heirs' property, real estate, co-ownership, family property, non-heir cotenant, right of first refusal, pilot services, liability limitation, maritime commerce, Matagorda Bay, Lavaca Bay, transportation code, maritime industry, civil liability, barratry, penalties, legal actions, damages, wrongful death

Transcript Highlights:

• He was one of the founders of the Veterans Court and the Human Trafficking Specialty Court.
• , all 15 appellate courts, and the 504 districts. courts, 24 probate courts, as well as the 260 county
• courts at law.
• I'm a judge of the 41st Judicial District Court in El Paso. I'm one of 16 district courts.
• I'm the judge for the district courts, or by statute, the local administrative district court judge.

Bills: HB4011, HB2680, HB4325, HB4327, HB4944, HB1761, HB4688, HB3453, HB40, HB1707, HB4749, HB2322, HB3647, HB4139, HB4081, HB2203, HB2100, HB4170, HB3104, HB4623, HB40

Keywords: partition, heirs' property, real estate, co-ownership, family property, non-heir cotenant, right of first refusal, pilot services, liability limitation, maritime commerce, Matagorda Bay, Lavaca Bay, transportation code, maritime industry, civil liability, barratry, penalties, legal actions, damages, wrongful death

Bills: HB85, HB94, HB276, HB323, HB374, HB586, HB656, HB998, HB1204, SB42, SB46, SB51, SB87, SB110, SB154

Keywords: animal abuse, registry, law enforcement, felony offenses, public notification, firearms, due process, confiscation, law-abiding citizen, government funding, self-defense, bail, contradictory bail hearing, Gwen's Law, pretrial detention, criminal procedure, child sexual abuse, child rape, sexual battery, oral sexual battery

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government must stop shifting the burden to Texas and take immediate action in strengthening
• You know, public government actions, public policy or influence government actions.
• But are those to influence government action?
• that would make it applicable to Public, you know, intimidate the public or influence government actions
• You, I mean, you know, you could argue that it actually is influencing government actions because we're

Bills: HB 214

Keywords: Texas Women's Privacy Act, HB 214, sex-segregated facilities, bathroom bill, restroom access, locker room, changing room, shower room, single-sex spaces, gender identity, transgender, biological sex, women's privacy, public facilities, state agency, political subdivision, correctional facility, prison housing, jail housing, family violence shelter

Bills: HB 2242, HB 2446, HB 2799, HB 4502, HB 2920, HB 2790, HB 5620, HB 5060, HB 5076, HB 5080, HB 5081, HB 5128, HB 5130, HB 3847, HB 5116, HB 2969, HB 4546, HB 4202, HB 5624, HB 3964, HB 4803, HB 872, HB 4775, HB 4777, HB 4961, HB 5570, HB 2988, HB 4260, HB 1375, HB 5009, HB 5411, HB 5134, HB 4388, HB 3095, HB 1387

Keywords: constables, civil rights, local government, law enforcement, policy-making authority, affidavit, medical bills, civil actions, reasonable charges, healthcare services, judicial statistics, court performance, family law, civil cases, efficiency reporting, court security, emergency management, harassment penalties, judicial safety, court committee