Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
By Thompson H.B. No. 2837
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the imposition and collection of additional court costs
1-3 in certain counties and to the salaries of certain statutory county
1-4 court judges.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 25.0016(c), Government Code, is amended
1-7 to read as follows:
1-8 (c) In determining the amount deposited in the judicial fund
1-9 under Section 51.702 for a county that collects fees and costs as
1-10 provided by that section, the comptroller shall credit [$30]
1-11 _______ of each fee deposited in the judicial fund under Section
1-12 51.701 by that county for cases assigned to a statutory county
1-13 court as fees deposited under Section 51.702.
1-14 SECTION 2. Section 51.702(a) and (b), Government Code, are
1-15 amended to read as follows:
1-16 (a) Except as provided by Subsection (g), in addition to all
1-17 other fees authorized or required by other law, the clerk of a
1-18 statutory county court shall collect a [$30] ______ filing fee in
1-19 each civil case filed in the court to be used for court-related
1-20 purposes for the support of the judiciary.
1-21 (b) In addition to other court costs, a person shall pay
1-22 [$15] _______ as a court cost on conviction of any criminal offense
1-23 in a statutory county court, including cases in which probation or
1-24 deferred adjudication is granted. A conviction that arises under
2-1 Chapter 173, Acts of the 47th Legislature, Regular Session, 1941
2-2 (Article 6687b, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), or a conviction
2-3 under the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article
2-4 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is included, except that a
2-5 conviction arising under any law that regulates pedestrians or the
2-6 parking of motor vehicles is not included.
2-7 SECTION 3. 25.005(a), Government Code, is amended to read as
2-8 follows:
2-9 (a) A statutory county court judge, other than a statutory
2-10 county court judge who engages in the private practice of law or a
2-11 judge in whose court fees and costs under Section 51.702 are not
2-12 collected, shall be paid a total annual salary set by the
2-13 commissioners court at an amount that is at least equal to [the
2-14 amount that is $1,000 less] _______ than the total annual salary
2-15 received by a district judge in the county. A district judge's or
2-16 statutory county court judge's total annual salary includes
2-17 contributions and supplements, paid by the state or a county, other
2-18 than contributions received as compensation under Section 74.051.
2-19 SECTION 4. (a) This Act applies only to filing fees for
2-20 civil cases filed on or after the effective date of this Act.
2-21 (b) This Act applies only to a cost on conviction of an
2-22 offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. For
2-23 purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the
2-24 effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
2-25 before the effective date.
2-26 (c) A cost on conviction of an offense committed before the
2-27 effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
2-28 offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect
2-29 for that purpose.
2-30 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.