By Brimer                                             H.B. No. 2632

         75R7247 BEM-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to fees charged for records filed with and maintained by

 1-3     the secretary of state.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 405.031(a) and (b), Government Code, are

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  The secretary of state shall charge for the use of the

 1-8     state the following:

 1-9                 (1)  for each official certificate, a fee of $10; [and]

1-10                 (2)  for a certified copy of a record in the secretary

1-11     of state's office, a fee of $1 a page in addition to the fee for

1-12     the certificate;

1-13                 (3)  for preparing and furnishing for a corporation,

1-14     limited partnership, limited liability company, or registered

1-15     limited liability partnership a certificate of existence or

1-16     authorization that reflects any filing effecting changes to the

1-17     entity's organizational documents or certificate of registration or

1-18     authorization and the dates of those filings, a fee of $25; and

1-19                 (4)  for the maintenance by the secretary of state of a

1-20     record of the service of any process, notice, or demand authorized

1-21     to be made on the secretary of state as agent, and for forwarding

1-22     the process, notice, or demand, a fee of $40 per person or party

1-23     served through the secretary of state [and $5 for certification].

1-24           (b)  The secretary of state may charge a fee of $5 [$2] for a

 2-1     search of records in the secretary of state's office if written

 2-2     evidence of the search is required.

 2-3           SECTION 2.  Section A, Article 10.01, Texas Business

 2-4     Corporation Act, is amended to read as follows:

 2-5           A.  The Secretary of State is authorized and required to

 2-6     collect for the use of the State the following fees:

 2-7                 (1)  Filing articles of incorporation of a domestic

 2-8     corporation and issuing a certificate of incorporation, Three

 2-9     Hundred Dollars ($300.00).

2-10                 (2)  Filing articles of amendment of a domestic

2-11     corporation and issuing a certificate of amendment, One Hundred

2-12     Fifty Dollars ($150.00).

2-13                 (3)  Filing articles of merger [or consolidation],

2-14     whether the surviving or new corporation be a domestic or foreign

2-15     corporation, Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00).

2-16                 (4)  Filing an application of a foreign corporation for

2-17     a certificate of authority to transact business in this State and

2-18     issuing such a certificate of authority, Seven Hundred Fifty

2-19     Dollars ($750.00).

2-20                 (5)  Filing an application of a foreign corporation for

2-21     an amended certificate of authority to transact business in this

2-22     State and issuing such an amended certificate of authority, One

2-23     Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00).

2-24                 (6)  Filing restated articles of incorporation of a

2-25     domestic corporation, Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00).

2-26                 (7)  Filing application for reservation of corporate

2-27     name and issuing a certificate therefor, Forty Dollars ($40.00).

 3-1                 (8)  Filing notice of transfer of reserved corporate

 3-2     name and issuing a certificate therefor, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

 3-3                 (9)  Filing application for registration of corporate

 3-4     name and issuing a certificate therefor, Seventy-Five Dollars

 3-5     ($75.00).

 3-6                 (10)  Filing application for renewal of registration of

 3-7     corporate name and issuing a certificate therefor, Seventy-Five

 3-8     Dollars ($75.00).

 3-9                 (11)  Filing statement of change of registered office

3-10     or registered agent, or both, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

3-11                 (12)  Filing statement of change of address of

3-12     registered agent, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00);  provided, however,

3-13     that the maximum fee for simultaneous filings by a registered agent

3-14     for more than one corporation shall not exceed Seven Hundred Fifty

3-15     Dollars ($750.00).

3-16                 (13)  Filing statement of resolution establishing

3-17     series of shares, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

3-18                 (14)  Filing statement of cancellation of redeemable

3-19     shares, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

3-20                 (15)  Filing statement of cancellation of re-acquired

3-21     shares, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

3-22                 (16)  Filing statement of reduction of stated capital,

3-23     Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

3-24                 (17)  Filing articles of dissolution and issuing

3-25     certificate therefor, Forty Dollars ($40.00).

3-26                 (18)  Filing application for withdrawal and issuing

3-27     certificate therefor, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

 4-1                 (19)  Filing certificate from home state that foreign

 4-2     corporation is no longer in existence in said state, Fifteen

 4-3     Dollars ($15.00).

 4-4                 (20)  [Maintaining a record of service of any process,

 4-5     notice or demand upon the Secretary of State as agent for foreign

 4-6     and domestic corporations and for any foreign association, joint

 4-7     stock company, partnership, or nonresident natural person, Forty

 4-8     Dollars ($40.00).]

 4-9                 [(21)]  Filing a bylaw or agreement restricting

4-10     transfer of shares or securities other than as an amendment to the

4-11     articles of incorporation, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

4-12                 (21) [(22)]  Filing any instrument pursuant to this Act

4-13     not expressly provided for above, Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).

4-14                 (22) [(23)]  Filing application for reinstatement of

4-15     corporate charter or certificate of authority following forfeiture

4-16     under the Tax Code, Seventy-Five Dollars ($75.00).

4-17           SECTION 3.  Section A, Article 9.01, Texas Limited Liability

4-18     Company Act (Article 1528n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is

4-19     amended to read as follows:

4-20           A.  The Secretary of State is authorized and required to

4-21     collect for the use of the State the following fees:

4-22                 (1)  Filing articles of organization of a domestic

4-23     limited liability company and issuing the certificate of

4-24     organization, Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).

4-25                 (2)  Filing articles of amendment of a domestic limited

4-26     liability company and issuing the certificate of amendment, One

4-27     Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

 5-1                 (3)  Filing articles of merger involving one or more

 5-2     domestic or foreign limited liability companies:

 5-3                       (a)  Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), if another

 5-4     type of domestic entity is not a party to the merger; or

 5-5                       (b)  the greater of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00)

 5-6     or the highest filing fee for articles of merger under the

 5-7     applicable Texas statute under which the other domestic entity or

 5-8     entities are incorporated or organized, if another type of domestic

 5-9     entity is party to the merger.

5-10                 (4)  Filing an application of a foreign limited

5-11     liability company for certificate of authority to transact business

5-12     in this state and issuing such a certificate of authority, Five

5-13     Hundred Dollars ($500.00).

5-14                 (5)  Filing an application of a foreign limited

5-15     liability company for an amended certificate of authority to

5-16     transact business in this state and issuing such an amended

5-17     certificate of authority, One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

5-18                 (6)  Filing restated articles of organization of a

5-19     domestic limited liability company, Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).

5-20                 (7)  Filing application for reservations of a limited

5-21     liability company name and issuing certificate thereof, Twenty-Five

5-22     Dollars ($25.00).

5-23                 (8)  Filing notice of transfer of reserved limited

5-24     liability company name and issuing a certificate therefor, Ten

5-25     Dollars ($10.00).

5-26                 (9)  Filing statement of change of registered office or

5-27     registered agent, or both, Ten Dollars ($10.00).

 6-1                 (10)  Filing statement of change of address of

 6-2     registered agent, Ten Dollars ($10.00);  provided, however, that

 6-3     the maximum fee for simultaneous filings by a registered agent for

 6-4     more than one limited liability company shall not exceed Five

 6-5     Hundred Dollars ($500.00).

 6-6                 (11)  Filing articles of dissolution and issuing

 6-7     certificate therefor, Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00).

 6-8                 (12)  Filing application for withdrawal and issuing

 6-9     certificate therefor, Ten Dollars ($10.00).

6-10                 (13)  Filing certificate from home state that foreign

6-11     limited liability company is no longer existent in said state, Ten

6-12     Dollars ($10.00).

6-13                 (14)  [Maintaining the record of service of any

6-14     process, notice or demand upon the Secretary of State as agent for

6-15     foreign and domestic limited liability companies, Twenty-Five

6-16     Dollars ($25.00).]

6-17                 [(15)]  Filing any instrument pursuant to this act not

6-18     expressly provided for above, Ten Dollars ($10.00).

6-19           SECTION 4.  Section 5.20(D), Texas Real Estate Investment

6-20     Trust Act (Article 6138A, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is

6-21     amended to read as follows:

6-22           (D)  The secretary of state shall collect for state use the

6-23     fee for maintaining a record of service of any process, notice, or

6-24     demand on the secretary of state as agent for any real estate

6-25     investment trust under this Section that is established by Section

6-26     405.031(a), Government Code [A(20), Article 10.01, Texas Business

6-27     Corporation Act].

 7-1           SECTION 5.  Section 17.091(e), Civil Practice and Remedies

 7-2     Code, is amended to read as follows:

 7-3           (e)  Service of process on the secretary of state under this

 7-4     section must be accompanied by the fee provided by Section

 7-5     405.031(a), Government Code [A(20), Article 10.01, Texas Business

 7-6     Corporation Act], for the maintenance by the secretary of state of

 7-7     a record of the service of process.

 7-8           SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 7-9           SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the

7-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

7-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

7-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

7-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.