Texas Human Resources Code 36.104 – State Decision; Continuation of Action
(a) Not later than the last day of the period prescribed by § 36.102(c) or an extension of that period as provided by § 36.102(d), the state shall:
(1) proceed with the action; or
(2) notify the court that the state declines to take over the action.
(b) If the state declines to take over the action, the person bringing the action may proceed without the state’s participation. A person proceeding under this subsection may recover for an unlawful act for a period of up to six years before the date the lawsuit was filed, or for a period beginning when the unlawful act occurred until up to three years from the date the state knows or reasonably should have known facts material to the unlawful act, whichever of these two periods is longer, regardless of whether the unlawful act occurred more than six years before the date the lawsuit was filed. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in no event shall a person proceeding under this subsection recover for an unlawful act that occurred more than 10 years before the date the lawsuit was filed.
Terms Used In Texas Human Resources Code 36.104
- Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
- Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
(b-1) On request by the state, the state is entitled to be served with copies of all pleadings filed in the action and be provided at the state’s expense with copies of all deposition transcripts. If the person bringing the action proceeds without the state’s participation, the court, without limiting the status and right of that person, may permit the state to intervene at a later date on a showing of good cause.