Relating to the period during which an order for emergency protection remains in effect.

Contracts

• Residential Leases: Property managers must adjust workflows regarding lease termination or bifurcation under Texas Property Code § 92.016. The extended EPO duration prolongs the period during which a tenant may present documentation to terminate a lease without penalty.
• Employment Agreements: Review "For Cause" termination and leave of absence policies. An employee barred from the workplace for 121 days (4 months) under a deadly weapon EPO may trigger automatic termination clauses regarding inability to perform duties, whereas the previous 91-day limit might have fallen under short-term leave protections.

Hiring/Training

• Security Personnel: Front-line security and reception staff must be retrained immediately. The historical "rule of thumb" that an emergency order expires in 30 or 60 days is now legally invalid. Staff must be trained to verify the specific expiration date on the face of the order.
• Human Resources: HR Managers must be trained to handle the "Mixed Compliance" period in Q3/Q4 2025, where active orders will exist under both the old (shorter) and new (longer) statutory timeframes depending on issuance date.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Visitor Management Systems (VMS): Reprogram security software logic. If your system automatically removes "Banned" flags after a set default period (e.g., 60 days), these defaults must be extended to 91 and 121 days to prevent unauthorized access by restrained individuals.
• Digital Service Validation: Establish a protocol for validating electronically served orders. As courts move toward digital service, HR must have a method to verify that a PDF emailed by an employee is a true and correct copy of the Magistrate’s order.

Fees & Costs

• No New Government Fees: There are no filing fee changes.
• Operational Costs: Potential increase in legal counsel fees for reviewing extended leave requests or complex lease terminations.