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Amendment restores attorneys’ role in preparing legal descriptions, committee advances bill
Summary
An amendment to House Bill 1970 restores licensed attorneys’ ability to prepare legal descriptions from surveys alongside surveyors; sponsor and Leader Cochran said the change eases a backlog caused by last year’s constraints and the committee sent the amended bill to the full committee.
The subcommittee adopted an amendment to House Bill 1970 to allow licensed attorneys to prepare legal descriptions from surveys in cases where they historically performed that work. Leader Cochran described the amendment as reversing an unintended consequence from a prior year’s change that had limited those duties to licensed surveyors.
Leader Cochran told the committee: "Until last year, it was the general practice that licensed surveyors prepare the surveys, and then attorneys and title companies prepare the legal descriptions... When we took that ability from attorneys, it's it's created a bit of a backlog on preparing deeds." The amendment (16,009) was adopted and the bill was sent to the full committee with an unanimous recorded vote (9–0).
Supporters said restoring the authority would relieve administrative backlogs without changing fundamental safety or surveying standards.
