The bill amends various sections of the Estates Code in Texas to streamline processes related to probate courts and decedents' estates. Key changes include the requirement for the transferring court's clerk to send specific documents to the receiving court when a probate proceeding is transferred, including a transfer certificate, copies of final orders, and the original will or a paper copy if the original cannot be produced. Additionally, the bill introduces a provision that allows the applicant requesting the transfer to bear the cost of delivery for the original will. It also clarifies that a copy of a will with a self-proving affidavit can be considered self-proved if it meets the necessary requirements.

Further amendments specify that the inventory of estate property must indicate the marital status of the decedent at the time of death and differentiate between separate and community property. The bill also updates the requirements for filing proof of service of notice by a temporary administrator and allows surviving spouses to manage community property in the absence of a qualified executor. The bill clarifies that certain amendments are intended to clarify existing law rather than change it, and it establishes that the new provisions will apply to proceedings initiated on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Estates Code 33.105, Estates Code 256.156, Estates Code 256.202, Estates Code 309.051, Estates Code 309.052, Estates Code 354.001, Estates Code 452.006, Estates Code 453.003, Government Code 80.002, Estates Code 403.060 (Estates Code 354, Government Code 80, Estates Code 453, Estates Code 256, Estates Code 309, Estates Code 403, Estates Code 33, Estates Code 452)