H.B. No. 770
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the establishment of an electronic database for
  settlement agreements for certain suits involving minors or
  incapacitated persons; authorizing a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 72.034 to read as follows:
         Sec. 72.034.  SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT DATABASE. (a) The
  office shall establish and maintain an electronic database that
  contains personal injury or wrongful death settlement agreements
  for which a minor or incapacitated person is the beneficiary. A
  party to the agreement or a guardian, next friend, or guardian ad
  litem may record the agreement in the database.  Only one copy of an
  agreement may be filed by the parties or the guardian, next friend,
  or guardian ad litem in each settlement agreement.
         (b)  A settlement agreement recorded in the database is
  confidential, and the office shall ensure that a settlement
  agreement may be accessed only by:
               (1)  the parties to the settlement agreement;
               (2)  each attorney representing a party to the
  settlement agreement; or
               (3)  the guardian, next friend, or guardian ad litem of
  a party to the settlement agreement.
         (c)  The office may set and collect a fee to record a
  settlement agreement in the database in an amount sufficient to
  cover the costs of maintaining the agreement in the database, not to
  exceed $50 for each agreement.
         (d)  Any fee to record a settlement agreement in the database
  established by the office as provided by Subsection (c) is a court
  cost to be included for payment in the settlement agreement.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to a
  suit filed on behalf of a minor or incapacitated person that is
  pending in a trial court on the effective date of this Act or that is
  filed on or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 770 was passed by the House on April
  9, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 148, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 770 was passed by the Senate on May
  21, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor