By Reyna of Bexar                                      H.B. No. 918
         76R644 DRH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the fees charged by a district or county clerk for
 1-3     court records.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 118.066, Local Government Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 118.066.  PROHIBITED FEES.  (a) A county clerk is not
 1-8     entitled to a fee for:
 1-9                 (1)  the examination of a paper or record in the
1-10     clerk's office;
1-11                 (2)  filing any process or document the clerk issues
1-12     that is returned to court;
1-13                 (3)  a motion or judgment on a motion for security for
1-14     costs; or
1-15                 (4)  taking or approving a bond for costs.
1-16           (b)  A county clerk may not charge a person a fee for a paper
1-17     copy of a court record or of a document filed with a court in
1-18     connection with an action or proceeding if the original court
1-19     record or document is  no longer available in paper form.
1-20           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 51, Government Code, is
1-21     amended by adding Section 51.3195 to read as follows:
1-22           Sec. 51.3195.  PROHIBITED FEES.  A district clerk may not
1-23     charge a person a fee for a paper copy of a court record or of a
1-24     document filed with a court in connection with an action or
 2-1     proceeding if the original court record or document is no longer
 2-2     available in paper form.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-4           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.