Title OC, Occupations Code

Sec. 901.604. SINGLE ACT AS EVIDENCE OF PRACTICE. In an action brought under this chapter, evidence of a single act prohibited by this chapter is sufficient to justify a penalty, injunction, restraining order, or conviction without evidence of a general course of conduct. Added b…

Sec. 901.605. APPOINTMENT OF SECRETARY OF STATE AS AGENT. A person who is not a resident of this state and who applies for a certificate or firm license is considered to have appointed the secretary of state as the applicant's agent for service of process in any action or proceed…

Sec. 901.606. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY. (a) A person acting in good faith who voluntarily reports or assists in the investigation of a report of an alleged violation of this chapter or who testifies or otherwise participates in an administrative or judicial proceeding arising from…

Sec. 901.652. PUBLIC PURPOSE. The scholarships required by this subchapter serve a public purpose of the state as described by Section 901.155. Transferred from Education Code, Subchapter N, Chapter 61 and amended by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 119 (H.B. 2440), Sec. 2, eff. S…

Sec. 901.653. SCHOLARSHIPS. The board shall establish and administer, using funds collected and appropriated for that purpose and in accordance with this subchapter and board rules, scholarships for accounting students. Transferred from Education Code, Subchapter N, Chapter 61 an…

Sec. 901.654. FACTORS. (a) Scholarships shall be established and administered in a manner that the board determines best serves the public purpose of the scholarships. (b) In determining what best promotes the public purpose, the board shall consider at a minimum the following fa…

Sec. 901.655. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this subchapter. (b) The board shall adopt rules relating to the establishment of the scholarships under Section 901.653, including rules providing eligibility criteria and the determinati…

Sec. 901.656. SCHOLARSHIP REGULATIONS. (a) The board shall determine the maximum amount of any scholarship awarded under this subchapter. The scholarship may be spent by the recipient on the expenses for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and living expenses incurred by the accounti…

Sec. 901.658. FUNDING. The board may: (1) use without appropriation, in accordance with this subchapter and Section 901.155, any money from the trust fund established under Section 901.155; and (2) accept gifts, grants, and donations of real or personal property from any entity, …

Sec. 901.659. MINORITY AND DISADVANTAGED STUDENT INTERNSHIPS. (a) The board shall adopt rules to encourage internships for minority and disadvantaged students and certified public accountant examination candidates who notify the board not later than 90 days after the date of bein…

Sec. 901.660. REPORT ON ACCOUNTANT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. (a) Before January 15 of each odd-numbered year, the board shall report to the legislature concerning the scholarship program for accounting students administered by the board under this subchapter. (b) The report expenses s…

Sec. 951.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as the Prepaid Legal Services Act. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Sec. 951.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Board of directors" means the board of directors of the state bar. (2) "Client" means an eligible member or beneficiary of a sponsoring organization. (3) "Organization" means a nonprofit organization or combination of persons, inco…

Sec. 951.003. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. (a) This chapter does not apply to: (1) the employment of counsel by an organization to represent its members free of direct financial charge to those members; or (2) legal services made available incidental to a contract of insurance in wh…

Sec. 951.004. SUPPLEMENTARY BYLAWS; RULES. (a) The board of directors may adopt supplementary bylaws as necessary to administer and enforce this chapter. (b) The state bar may: (1) adopt rules regulating the participation of a state bar member in group legal services programs; an…

Sec. 951.051. APPROVAL OF PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The board may approve not more than five prepaid legal services pilot programs between classroom teachers associations and the state bar. (b) A member of the state bar may provide legal services to a prepaid legal services program only…

Sec. 951.052. APPLICATION. (a) An applicant for approval of a prepaid legal services program must show that: (1) the program money held by the organization sponsoring the program is secure, as evidenced by a fidelity bond for the officers of the organization authorized to manage …

Sec. 951.053. APPLICATION FEE. The board of directors may set a fee, in an amount reasonable and necessary to enforce this chapter, for an organization applying for approval of a prepaid legal services program. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Sec. 951.054. REVOCATION OF PROGRAM APPROVAL. (a) On written notice to an organization of the reasons for revocation, the board of directors may revoke the approval of a program sponsored by the organization for failure to: (1) provide the services offered; or (2) comply with Sec…

Sec. 952.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as the Texas Lawyer Referral Service Quality Assurance Act. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Sec. 952.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Lawyer referral service" means a person or the service provided by the person that refers potential clients to lawyers regardless of whether the person uses the term "referral service" to describe the service provided. (2) "State b…

Sec. 952.003. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. A lawyer referral service does not include: (1) an organization that recommends, furnishes, or pays for legal services for its members or beneficiaries and that satisfies the conditions of the Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct or o…

Sec. 952.051. RULES; ENFORCEMENT. (a) The state bar shall adopt reasonable rules subject to the approval of the supreme court to administer this chapter. (b) The state bar may enforce this chapter and the rules adopted under this chapter. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, ef…

Sec. 952.052. FEES. The state bar may set fees, in amounts that are reasonable and necessary to cover the costs of administering this chapter, for the issuance and renewal of a certificate under this chapter. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. SUBCHAPTER C…

Sec. 952.101. CERTIFICATE REQUIRED. A person may not operate a lawyer referral service in this state unless the person holds a certificate issued under this chapter. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Sec. 952.102. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS; RENEWAL. (a) An applicant for a certificate or the renewal of a certificate issued under this chapter must: (1) be operated by: (A) a governmental entity; or (B) a nonprofit entity exempt from the payment of federal income taxes under Secti…

Sec. 952.151. NOTICE REQUIREMENT. (a) A lawyer referral service shall include the following statement in any advertising or other promotional effort: "This service is certified as a lawyer referral service as required by the State of Texas under Chapter 952, Occupations Code." (b…

Sec. 952.152. LAWYER PARTICIPATION. A lawyer who is licensed and in good standing in this state and who maintains an office in the geographical area served by a lawyer referral service may receive referrals of potential clients from the service if the lawyer: (1) complies with Se…

Sec. 952.153. PROOF OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. A lawyer referral service may require a member, as a condition of membership, to: (1) obtain a policy of errors and omissions insurance; or (2) establish other proof of financial responsibility in an amount determined by the servic…

Sec. 952.154. SUBJECT MATTER AND OTHER PANELS. (a) A lawyer referral service shall establish specific subject matter panels. (b) A lawyer referral service may establish: (1) moderate-fee and no-fee panels; (2) alternative dispute resolution panels; and (3) other special panels th…

Sec. 952.155. LIMITATIONS ON CLIENT FEES. (a) A lawyer may not charge a potential client referred to the lawyer by a referral service an amount that exceeds the total cost the client would have been required to pay, including legal fees and expenses, if a referral service had not…

Sec. 952.201. EVALUATION AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES. A lawyer referral service shall establish policies and procedures to: (1) evaluate client satisfaction with its services; and (2) address client complaints with regard to the referral service or the lawyers and firms that subscri…

Sec. 952.202. SUSPENSION OR REMOVAL FROM LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE. (a) A lawyer referral service shall establish written policies and procedures to suspend or remove a lawyer or firm from the referral service's list of subscribers. (b) The policies and procedures established under…

Sec. 952.203. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. (a) The state bar or a lawyer referral service certified under this chapter may bring an action to enjoin a violation of this chapter and may recover costs and attorney's fees related to obtaining the injunction. (b) Bond or other security may not…

Sec. 953.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Administrator" means the person responsible for the administration of a legal service contract. (2) "Company" means a person who: (A) is contractually obligated to a legal service contract holder under the terms of a legal service …

Sec. 953.002. EXEMPTIONS. This chapter does not apply to: (1) a nonprofit legal services corporation under Chapter 961, Insurance Code; (2) an automobile club supplying services under Chapter 722, Transportation Code; (3) a prepaid legal services program under Chapter 951; (4) a …

Sec. 953.003. EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN OTHER LAWS. The acts of marketing, selling, offering for sale, issuing, making, proposing to make, and administering a legal service contract that is regulated by this chapter are exempt from the Insurance Code and other laws of this state re…

Sec. 953.151. COMPANY REQUIREMENTS. (a) A company may not sell, offer for sale, or issue a legal service contract in this state unless the company gives the legal service contract holder: (1) a receipt for, or other written evidence of, the purchase of the contract; and (2) a cop…

Sec. 953.152. GROUP LEGAL SERVICE CONTRACTS. A company may issue group legal service contracts. The company shall provide a legal service contract holder who obtains a group contract with a document that describes the company's services and complies with the requirements of this …

Sec. 953.153. CONTRACTING ATTORNEY REQUIREMENTS. A contracting attorney must: (1) be licensed in the jurisdiction in which the legal services are performed; (2) be in good standing with the entity that licenses attorneys in that jurisdiction; and (3) maintain professional liabili…

Sec. 953.154. COMPANY INTERFERENCE WITH ATTORNEY'S DUTIES PROHIBITED. A company may not interfere with the attorney-client relationship or with the contracting attorney's independent exercise of professional judgment. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1181, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,…

Sec. 953.156. FORM OF LEGAL SERVICE CONTRACT AND REQUIRED DISCLOSURES. A legal service contract marketed, sold, offered for sale, administered, or issued in this state must: (1) be written, printed, or typed in clear, understandable language that is easy to read; (2) include the …

Sec. 953.157. TERMINATING A LEGAL SERVICE CONTRACT. A legal service contract holder may terminate the legal service contract if the legal service contract holder provides the company with written notice of the legal service contract holder's intention of terminating the contract …

Sec. 953.158. VOIDING A LEGAL SERVICE CONTRACT. (a) If a legal service contract holder terminates a legal service contract in accordance with Section 953.157 and the holder has not sought legal services under the contract before the contract is terminated, the contract is void. (…

Sec. 953.159. CANCELING A LEGAL SERVICE CONTRACT. (a) A company may cancel a legal service contract by mailing a written notice of cancellation to the legal service contract holder at the legal service contract holder's last known address according to the records of the company. …

Sec. 953.160. LIMITATIONS ON COMPANY NAME. (a) A company may not use a name that: (1) includes "insurance," "casualty," "surety," or "mutual" or any other word descriptive of the insurance, casualty, or surety business; or (2) is deceptively similar to the name or description of …