83R7134 CJC-D
	By: Eiland	H.B. No. 1904

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the payment of an attorney ad litem appointed to
	represent a defendant in a delinquent tax suit.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 33.49, Tax Code, is amended to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 33.49.  LIABILITY OF TAXING UNIT FOR COSTS. (a) Except
	as provided by Subsection (b), a taxing unit is not liable in a suit
	to collect taxes for court costs, including any fees for service of
	process, [an attorney ad litem,] arbitration, or mediation, and may
	not be required to post security for costs.
	(b)  A taxing unit shall pay attorney ad litem fees and the
	cost of publishing citations, notices of sale, or other notices
	from the unit's general fund as soon as practicable after receipt of
	the attorney ad litem's or the publisher's claim for payment. The
	taxing unit is entitled to reimbursement from other taxing units
	that are parties to the suit for their proportionate share of the
	attorney ad litem fees and publication costs on satisfaction of any
	portion of the tax indebtedness before further distribution of the
	proceeds. A taxing unit may not pay a word or line rate for
	publication of citation or other required notice that exceeds the
	rate the newspaper publishing the notice charges private entities
	for similar classes of advertising.
	SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
	to the payment of an attorney ad litem appointed to represent a
	defendant in a delinquent tax suit on or after the effective date of
	this Act. The payment of an attorney ad litem appointed to
	represent a defendant in a delinquent tax suit before the effective
	date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the attorney
	ad litem was appointed, and the former law is continued in effect
	for that purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.