H.B. No. 1369 aims to enhance the confidentiality of residential eviction case information in Texas by adding Section 24.012 to the Property Code. This new section defines key terms related to eviction cases, such as "eviction case," "eviction case information," and "landlord." It establishes that a court must make eviction case information confidential when a judgment is entered in favor of the defendant, the case is dismissed without relief to the plaintiff, or if the defendant is a residential tenant not in default and the eviction is initiated by a successor in interest following foreclosure. Additionally, it allows defendants to petition for confidentiality after five years from the final judgment under certain conditions.

The bill also outlines the restrictions on disclosing confidential eviction case information, specifying that courts and clerks cannot intentionally disclose such information except to certain parties, and it prohibits credit reporting agencies and others from using this information in tenant screening reports. Violations of these confidentiality provisions can result in actual or exemplary damages, along with attorney's fees. The Texas Supreme Court is tasked with adopting necessary rules for implementation by January 1, 2026, when the act is set to take effect.

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