SRC-JBJ S.C.R. 12 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.C.R. 12
76R2083 RVH-DBy: Ellis
Jurisprudence
2/19/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, local court clerks identify, collect, and remit a great variety
of fees, at a rate of 61 percent for county-level courts and 26 percent for
district courts.  The rate of collection results in a combined loss of
nearly $1,000,000, according to a 1996 survey by the Office of Court
Administration of the Texas Judicial System.  While most counties attempt
to increase their collection rate with a variety of collection methods, the
number of fees and the complex fee structure causes smaller jurisdictions
and cities with limited resources to struggle with raising the collection
rate.   

Simplification of the fee collection process would enable smaller
jurisdictions to employ less of their limited resources in processing fees,
and training measures would increase a court's efficiency in collections.
S.C.R. 12 would direct the comptroller of public accounts to develop
strategies for increasing efficiency and reducing the complexity of fee
collection for county and municipal clerks, and to report the strategies to
the legislature. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.C.R. 12 submits the following resolutions:

Directs the comptroller of public accounts to develop strategies for
increasing efficiency and reducing the complexity of fee collection and
dispersal by county and municipal clerks, and to submit those
recommendations to the legislature by March 1, 1999. 

Requires the secretary of state to forward an official copy of this
resolution to the comptroller of public accounts.