2023S0057-1 01/24/23     By: Leach H.B. No. 1763     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the disposition of money from certain attorney accounts   delivered to the comptroller as unclaimed property.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 74, Property Code, is   amended by adding Section 74.604 to read as follows:          Sec. 74.604.  DISPOSITION OF MONEY DELIVERED TO COMPTROLLER   FROM CERTAIN ATTORNEY ACCOUNTS. (a) This section applies to money   delivered to the comptroller under Section 74.301 as:                (1)  unclaimed or unidentified funds in a client trust   account established by an attorney or law firm; or                (2)  money in an abandoned IOLTA account established by   an attorney or law firm to comply with Texas Supreme Court rules   governing the Texas Access to Justice Program.          (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or   other law, the comptroller shall deposit money to which this   section applies to the credit of the judicial fund. Except as   otherwise provided by this section, money deposited to the credit   of the judicial fund may be appropriated only to the Texas Supreme   Court for programs approved by the supreme court that provide basic   civil legal services.          (c)  If the comptroller pays a claim to a person establishing   ownership of any money that was deposited to the credit of the   judicial fund under Subsection (b), the Texas Supreme Court shall   reimburse the comptroller out of the judicial fund for the amount of   the claim. The supreme court may use money deposited under   Subsection (b) to pay the claim.          (d)  The comptroller and the Texas Supreme Court may adopt   rules necessary to implement this section.          (e)  In this section, "IOLTA" means the Interest On Lawyers'   Trust Account Program.          SECTION 2.  (a) Section 74.604, Property Code, as added by   this Act, applies to money described by Section 74.604(a)(1) or   (2), Property Code, as added by this Act, that was delivered to the   comptroller under Section 74.301, Property Code, on, before, or   after the effective date of this Act.          (b)  As soon as possible after the effective date of this   Act, the comptroller shall identify money described by Subsection   (a) of this section that was delivered to the comptroller before the   effective date of this Act and deposit that money to the credit of   the judicial fund in accordance with Section 74.604(b), Property   Code, as added by this Act. The comptroller shall subtract from the   amount the comptroller deposits to the judicial fund under this   subsection any amounts that the comptroller has previously paid on   claims to persons who established ownership of part of that money.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.