Sen. Royce West introduced SB 600, a bill on Courts, Probate, and Property Interests, to the Texas Senate on Friday, Dec. 13 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’relating to the partition or voluntary sale of real property owned by certain cotenants; amending the Uniform Partition of Heirs’ Property Act’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill amends the Uniform Partition of Heirs’ Property Act in Texas to regulate the partition or voluntary sale of real property owned by cotenants. It introduces requirements for petitioning a partition, specifying necessary information such as interest dates and percentages and mandates personal service or certified mail notifications to relevant parties. It outlines procedures for appointing attorneys ad litem for unknown cotenant heirs and establishes guidelines for determining and valuing heirs’ property. The bill also sets rules for involuntary partition action initiation by non-heir cotenants and implements a right of first refusal for heir cotenants in sale scenarios, effective for transactions closing after January 1, 2026. Additionally, it mandates creating an heir’s bill of rights form to inform heirs of their legal rights and duties, effective Sept. 1, 2025.
Royce West, the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation, proposed another 54 bills during the 89(R) legislative session. He is also a member of the Senate Committee on Committee of the Whole Senate, a member of the Senate Committee on Education K-16, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, and a member of the Senate Committee on Local Government.
West graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BA and again from University of Houston with an MA.
Royce West is currently serving in the Texas State Senate, representing the state’s 23rd Senate district. He replaced previous state senator Eddie Bernice Johnson in 1993.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB 607 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to monetary assistance provided by the Department of Family and Protective Services to certain parental child safety placement caregivers |
| SB 606 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to requiring consumer reporting agencies to notify a consumer when inaccurate information in the consumer’s file is corrected |
| SB 605 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the establishment of a new open-enrollment charter school campus by certain charter holders and to the expansion of an open-enrollment charter school |
| SB 604 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the posting of information regarding certain bonds guaranteed by the permanent school fund |
| SB 603 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to a landlord’s authority to collect from a tenant certain late fees for nonpayment or late payment for a utility |
| SB 602 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the Preparation for Adult Living Program and other services for foster children transitioning to independent living |
| SB 601 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to mail fees charged to tenants of certain residential properties |
| SB 599 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to regulate a licensed, registered, or listed group day-care home or family home |
| SB 598 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the school safety allotment under the public school finance system |
| SB 597 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the basic allotment and the guaranteed yield under the Foundation School Program |
| SB 596 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to reporting certain information regarding the placement of children and suits filed by the Department of Family and Protective Services |
| SB 595 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the notice of rulemaking proceedings provided to certain persons by state agencies |
| SB 594 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to assistance with veterans benefits claims |
| SB 593 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to personal automobile or residential property insurance premium increases for claims subject to sovereign, governmental, or official immunity |
| SB 592 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to rules adopted and enforced by cemetery organizations on markers, memorials, and effigies; authorizing a civil penalty |
| SB 591 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to prohibitions in connection with certain sales of clothing on an Internet website or software application; providing a civil penalty |
| SB 590 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the approval of a request for the revision of a charter for an open-enrollment charter school |
| SB 589 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to consideration of criminal history of applicants for public employment |
| SB 588 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the appointment of the Department of Family and Protective Services and a child’s parent or legal guardian as joint managing conservators for the child |
| SB 587 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to terms for members of the state executive committee of the University Interscholastic League |
| SB 586 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to establishing the Historic Texas Cemeteries Designation Program; authorizing a fee |
| SB 585 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the reporting of certain criminal history record information on a consumer report |
| SB 584 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the responsibility of consumer reporting agencies to ensure compliance with certain consumer reporting laws |
| SB 583 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to lists of public real property suitable for use or to be developed for use as affordable housing by certain municipalities and counties |
| SB 582 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the disclosure of preliminary reports of certain special investigations conducted by the Texas Education Agency |
| SB 581 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to an exemption from certain requirements regarding diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives for certain charitable funds at public institutions of higher education |
| SB 580 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to an exemption from certain requirements regarding diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives for certain scholarly research or creative works at public institutions of higher education |
| SB 579 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to an exemption from certain requirements regarding diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives for certain scholarships provided by public institutions of higher education |
| SB 578 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to surveillance cameras for certain housing developments that receive an allocation of low income housing tax credits |
| SB 577 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to the establishment of the foster child trust account program |
| SB 576 | 12/13/2024 | Relating to information made available to a relative or other designated caregiver |
| SB 230 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to limitations on the information contained on a consumer report furnished by a consumer reporting agency |
| SB 229 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to prohibiting a retail seller of motor vehicles from imposing certain restrictions on the purchase of a motor vehicle |
| SB 228 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to prohibiting the use of certain political advertising manipulated by generative artificial intelligence technology; creating a criminal offense |
| SB 227 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the application review process for certain delayed birth certificates |
| SB 226 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to establishing residency for children who are the subject of parental child safety placement agreements for purposes of admission into public schools |
| SB 225 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to implementation of an express lane option for determining eligibility and enrolling certain individuals in Medicaid or the child health plan program |
| SB 224 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to prohibiting child-placing agencies from imposing certain requirements on relative and designated caregivers |
| SB 223 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain prosecuting attorneys who are employed as part of the border prosecution unit |
| SB 222 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the creation of a revolving loan program to fund the purchase by historically underutilized businesses of certain bonds required for public work contracts |
| SB 221 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the disciplinary power of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to issue private reprimands |
| SB 220 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to an employer’s civil liability under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act for injuries sustained by certain victims of sexual assault or abuse |
| SB 219 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to orders of nondisclosure of criminal history record information for certain criminal defendants |
| SB 218 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to requiring the board of trustees of each school district to create a nonvoting student trustee position on the board |
| SB 217 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to establishing the Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation Program; authorizing a fee |
| SB 216 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to opioid overdose training for peace officers |
| SB 215 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the establishment of a program for the issuance of digital identification; authorizing a fee |
| SB 214 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a temporary exemption from sales and use taxes for certain residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and installation services |
| SB 213 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to prohibiting insurers from requiring the tying of residential property and personal automobile insurance policies |
| SB 212 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to certain public meetings and public hearings concerning permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
