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Texas Senate committee has advanced a bill to strengthen protections and increase penalties for deed fraud, sending it to the full Senate for a vote. The legislation comes after years of struggles by victims, including Robert Brown, chair of the First Christian Church in Lancaster, who recounted his church's two-year ordeal with deed fraud.

    "It was an absolute nightmare," Brown said, describing how the church received letters from the Dallas County appraisal district asking about a sale that never occurred. It took the church three years to see the perpetrator convicted and their property restored.

    The bill, Senate Bill 15, aims to prevent such cases by requiring county clerks to verify identification when processing property transactions. Currently, scammers can file fraudulent deeds with little scrutiny, allowing them to sell or take out loans against stolen properties.

    State Sen. Royce West's legislation would also create new criminal penalties for deed fraud and expand the statute of limitations for prosecution to 10 years. The bill has been merged with Senate Bill 36, which addresses real property theft.

    Deed fraud is a growing problem in Texas, with over 100 cases reported in Dallas County this year alone. Assistant District Attorney Phillip Clark noted that while the issue may seem small compared to the state's vast land and property holdings, it can have devastating effects on victims.

    Lawmakers voted unanimously to advance SB 15 after hearing testimony from Brown and other experts, including Victoria County Clerk Heidi Easley and Harris County attorney Christian Menefee. The bill now heads to the full Senate for a vote.