LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 29, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Patricia Gray, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 71
          Committee on Civil Practices                              By: Longoria
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB71 ( Relating 
to fees collected in certain civil suits.) this office has detemined 
the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB71-As Introduced
         
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
          
Fiscal Analysis

The bill would create a new $45 joint action 
filing fee to be collected by the district clerk from each plaintiff 
who is a party to the suit.  Texas residents, indigents unable 
to pay the joint action filing fee, joint actions regarding 
a matter under the Family Code, and plaintiffs that have already 
paid a $45 filing fee would be exempt from the joint action 
filing fee.  The bill would take effect September 1, 1997.

Methodology

Current 
law allows district clerks to collect  a $45 fee for each civil 
case filed, notwithstanding the number of plaintiffs.  Under 
the provision of the bill, district clerks would be allowed 
to charge additional fees from plaintiffs to cover the added 
costs incurred when a civil suit has more than one plaintiff. 
 Furthermore, the bill would produce new revenue for all counties 
that have dispositions of civil suits involving joint actions.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,PE