HBA-CCH H.B. 3484 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3484
By: Solomons
Civil Practices
3/20/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the secretary of state requires a person who files suit
against a person outside of Texas, regarding a business transaction or a
tort, to provide a statement of the home or home office of the defendant.
Upon serving as the statutory agent of the nonresident, the secretary of
state then forwards the process to the nonresident.  House Bill 3484
provides that upon the receipt of duplicate copies of the process, the
secretary of state is required to immediately mail a copy of the process to
the nonresident at the address provided in the submitted documents. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3484 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to provide that
if the secretary of state (secretary) is served with duplicate copies of
process for a nonresident, the documents are required to contain a
statement of the name and address of the nonresident's home or home office
and the secretary is required to immediately mail a copy of the process to
the nonresident at the address provided.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.