SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT DATABASE

(a) The office shall establish and maintain an electronic database that contains personal injury or wrongful death settlement agreements for which a minor or incapacitated person is the beneficiary. A party to the agreement or a guardian, next friend, or guardian ad litem may record the agreement in the database. Only one copy of an agreement may be filed by the parties or the guardian, next friend, or guardian ad litem in each settlement agreement. (b) A settlement agreement recorded in the database is confidential, and the office shall ensure that a settlement agreement may be accessed only by: (1) the parties to the settlement agreement; (2) each attorney representing a party to the settlement agreement; or (3) the guardian, next friend, or guardian ad litem of a party to the settlement agreement. (c) The office may set and collect a fee to record a settlement agreement in the database in an amount sufficient to cover the costs of maintaining the agreement in the database, not to exceed $50 for each agreement. (d) Any fee to record a settlement agreement in the database established by the office as provided by Subsection (c) is a court cost to be included for payment in the settlement agreement.