Relating to the operation and administration of and practices and procedures related to proceedings in the judicial branch of state government, including court security, court documents and arrest warrants, document delivery, juvenile boards, constitutional amendment election challenges, record retention, youth diversion, court-ordered mental health services, the powers of the Texas Supreme Court, jurors, and the special prosecution unit; increasing a criminal penalty; authorizing fees.

Contracts

• Arbitration Clauses: Review and amend standard arbitration provisions. Section 9.01 codifies that arbitration is subject to the same statute of limitations as civil suits. Ensure your contracts do not attempt to shorten these periods in violation of the new Section 16.073 (CPRC), or they may be unenforceable.
• Vendor Agreements (Legal Tech): If you supply case management software to District/County Attorneys, you must update data fields to capture new caseload metrics (Section 7.10) before the September 2026 reporting deadline.

Hiring/Training

• Document Intake Teams: Train mailroom and records staff immediately on Article 8. They must reject any "Certified Copy" from a County/District Clerk that does not have the clerk’s signature/initials and seal on every single page. A copy with only a final-page certification is no longer legally sufficient for business reliance.
• HR & Security: Update workplace conduct policies regarding interactions with court staff. Under Article 15, harassment of a "court employee" is now a Class A Misdemeanor (or State Jail Felony with priors). Employees handling collections or litigation must be warned that aggressive behavior toward court clerks carries enhanced criminal liability.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Litigation Docketing: Update case management systems to track the new "Shot Clock" for Summary Judgments (Section 9.15). You must track:
• 1. 60 Days from motion filing to hearing/submission.
• 2. 90 Days from hearing to written ruling.
• Expunction Processing: If your business handles background checks or record clearing, note that Justice/Municipal courts will require a new $100 fee per petition starting January 1, 2026.

Fees & Costs

• Bond Approval Fee: Increases from $3.00 to $5.00 (County Clerks).
• Expunction Petition Fee: New $100.00 fee (Justice/Municipal Courts), effective Jan 1, 2026.
• Litigation Costs: While filing fees remain largely stable, the statutory requirement for faster rulings may reduce long-term outside counsel fees associated with stalled cases.