About 15 years ago, you were greeted with, "You’ve got mail," when you turned on your computer. For better or worse, the use of electronic communication has expanded dramatically since the early days of AOL and this newfound reliance upon technology has certainly had a profound impact on the law. Now, in some jurisdictions, what was once a welcome greeting is dangerously approaching a different message: "You’ve been served."
Texas House Bill 1989
On February 27, Texas state Representative Jeff Leach introduced HB 1989 to the Texas Legislature. His proposed bill permits service of process through alternate means, namely, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media, which are now routinely utilized by the public. Service through social media has been the subject of only sporadic judicial consideration over the past several years, although in Utah it is already allowed. If HB 1989 were to become law, it would be the next step in the formalization of laws governing service through social media in the United States.
