BILL ANALYSIS


                                                         S.B. 775
                                                        By: Nixon
                                      Intergovernmental Relations
                                                         03-22-95
                                       Committee Report (Amended)
BACKGROUND

Often people write personal or business checks to the county which
are returned for reasons such as insufficient funds and closed
accounts.  Checks issued by the counties may be lost in the mail or
issued incorrectly, which requires the placement of a stop-payment
of the check.  Banks charge counties a fee for each of these
services.  The amount of the fee charged to counties varies, but in
general the fees charged have increased over the last several
years.

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 775 sets forth the fees a county treasurer may
charge for returned checks and stop-payment orders.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 118.141, Local Government Code, as
follows:

     Sec. 118.141.  FEE SCHEDULE.  Authorizes the county treasurer,
     or another officer who receives revenue in place of the county
     treasurer, to collect a fee of not less than $15 or more than
     $30, rather than $25, for a returned check; and the current
     stop-payment fee charged to the county by the county
     depository for a stop-payment order.
     
     SECTION 2.     Effective date:  September 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.