The Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence adopted a committee substitute to House Bill 16 and voted to report the bill to the full House with a favorable recommendation, the committee chair said, after a 10-0 roll call.

The substitute revises multiple provisions in the omnibus courts bill, including delaying specified court creation dates, adding a new county court in Maverick County, repealing a provision related to youth diversion, removing a civil preference tied to the 456th District Court in Guadalupe County, and adjusting provisions about digital court recording and special prosecution unit representation.

Chairman Leach told the committee it "lays out house bill 16" and introduced the committee substitute, saying the changes respond to the governor's veto and member requests. The substitute sets one court-creation effective date to 12/01/2025 and changes another court-creation date previously set for January 2026 to 09/01/2026, according to the committee substitute described on the record.

Megan Lavoie, administrative director for the Office of Court Administration, testified as a resource on the measure. "I just wanna thank chairman Leach and the members of this committee for working with the judiciary on this very important bill that contains so many new courts and jurisdiction changes," Lavoie said, and offered to answer questions.

Steve Bresnan, speaking for the Texas Court Reporters Association and the Texas Deposition Reporters Association, thanked committee staff for negotiating study language and said he and Amy Bresnan submitted two materials for the committee's record: an amicus letter to appellate courts and a proposed amendment that the speakers said is not before the committee for consideration that day. Bresnan raised concern about appeals of anti‑SLAPP motions pending at the appellate level and said courts had not complied with the statute requiring expedited handling in a particular case. "For 47 months, those 2 courts have had an appeal of an anti slap motion before them," Bresnan said. He described a proposed amendment (not under consideration) that would direct the Third Court of Appeals to resolve the anti‑SLAPP appeal within 60 days, the Texas Supreme Court to resolve any subsequent appeal within 90 days, and, if necessary, require the Supreme Court to address exclusive original‑jurisdiction questions within 180 days.

The chair closed public testimony after the two registered witnesses and, with no objection, the committee adopted the committee substitute. Representative Hayes moved that H.B. 16 as substituted be reported to the full House "with recommendation that you pass to be printed," and the committee recorded "there being 10 eyes and 0 nays," the motion prevailing.

The committee adjourned "subject to the call of the chair." No additional directions to staff or amendments were adopted during the meeting, and the committee did not take up the amendment proposed by the Texas Court Reporters Association that was described as not for consideration that day.