By Cuellar of Webb                                     H.B. No. 880
       74R3941 RJA-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to an additional security fee collected in Webb County.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Chapter 291, Local Government Code, is amended by
    1-5  adding Section 291.009 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 291.009.  WEBB COUNTY SECURITY FEE.  (a)  In addition to
    1-7  any other fee authorized by law, the Webb County Commissioners
    1-8  Court may set a fee not to exceed $20 to be collected at the time
    1-9  of filing in each civil case filed in the county court, a county
   1-10  court at law, or a district court in Webb County.  The fee shall be
   1-11  taxed as other costs.  The county is not liable for the costs.
   1-12        (b)  In any civil case brought by the state or a political
   1-13  subdivision of the state in which the state or political
   1-14  subdivision is the prevailing party, the amount of a fee imposed
   1-15  under Subsection (a) shall be taxed and collected as a cost of
   1-16  court against each nonprevailing party.
   1-17        (c)  The clerks of the respective courts shall collect the
   1-18  costs under Subsections (a) and (b).
   1-19        (d)  Costs and fees collected under this section shall be
   1-20  paid to the county treasurer, or to any other official who
   1-21  discharges the duties commonly delegated to the county treasurer,
   1-22  for deposit in a special fund to be used by the commissioners court
   1-23  only for courthouse security.
   1-24        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
    2-1  applies only to civil cases filed in the county court, a county
    2-2  court at law, or a district court in Webb County on or after that
    2-3  date.
    2-4        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-5  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-6  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-7  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-8  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.