By Ellis S.B. No. 787
74R6584 CAG-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the imposition and collection of additional court costs
1-3 and fees in certain counties.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 51.702, Government Code, is amended by
1-6 amending Subsections (f) and (g) and adding Subsections (h), (i),
1-7 (j), and (k) to read as follows:
1-8 (f) This section applies only to fees and costs for a
1-9 12-month period beginning July 1 in a county in which the
1-10 commissioners court:
1-11 (1) adopts a resolution authorizing the fees and costs
1-12 under this section <for the 12-month period>; and
1-13 (2) files the resolution with the comptroller not
1-14 later than June 1 immediately preceding the first 12-month period
1-15 during which the fees and costs are to be collected.
1-16 (g) A resolution under Subsection (f) continues from year to
1-17 year allowing the county to collect fees and costs under the terms
1-18 of this section until the resolution is rescinded.
1-19 (h) A commissioners court that desires to rescind a
1-20 resolution adopted under Subsection (f) must submit to the
1-21 comptroller not later than June 1 preceding the beginning of the
1-22 first day of the state fiscal year the commissioners court desires
1-23 to rescind the resolution.
1-24 (i) A county that is not eligible to participate under
2-1 Subsection (f) on July 1 of a year but is eligible to participate
2-2 later in the year may submit a resolution meeting the requirements
2-3 of Subsection (f) to the comptroller. The comptroller shall
2-4 determine the date the county may begin to collect fees and costs
2-5 under this section. A county that begins to collect fees and costs
2-6 under this section after July 1 is not eligible for a payment by
2-7 the comptroller under Section 25.0015 until the 60th day after the
2-8 date the comptroller determines the county may begin to collect
2-9 fees and costs under this section.
2-10 (j) A clerk may not collect a fee under this section and
2-11 under Section 51.701.
2-12 (k) Money collected under this section after a county ceases
2-13 to participate in the collection of additional fees and costs under
2-14 this section shall be remitted to the comptroller. The money shall
2-15 be deposited in the judicial fund and shall be distributed to
2-16 counties currently participating under this section in the manner
2-17 described in Section 25.0005.
2-18 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
2-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-24 passage, and it is so enacted.