Subscribe to receive our Floor Reports covering all the action on the Texas House and Senate floor!
Summary: Current law allows a magistrate to issue an order for emergency protection after a defendant is arrested for family violence, sexual abuse, or stalking. Also, current law requires a copy of the order to be served in open court. Generally, these orders are issued while the defendant is imprisoned which requires the defendant to be transported to the court. HB 570 removes the requirement for a defendant to be served the protection order in open court and allows a copy of the protection order to be served electronically such as via Skype or other video conferencing technology.
Analysis: Sometimes, serving a protection order in open court is impractical. Giving the magistrate the option to serve a protection order electronically allows greater flexibility in the court system. Additionally, serving a protection order electronically could save time and money spent transferring a defendant to and from jail. For these reasons, TPPA recommends voting yes on HB 570.
Read Bill & Check Bill Status