By Deshotel                                           H.B. No. 2822
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the fees charged by a county clerk for probate filings.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 118.052,  Local Government Code, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 118.052.  FEE SCHEDULE.  Each clerk of a county court
 1-7     shall collect the following fees for services rendered to any
 1-8     person:
 1-9           (1)  CIVIL COURT ACTIONS
1-10                 (A)  Filing of Original Action (Sec. 118.053):
1-11                       (i)  Garnishment after judgment .......... $15.00
1-12                       (ii)  All others ......................... $40.00
1-13                 (B)  Filing of Action Other than Original (Sec.
1-14                      118.054) .................................. $30.00
1-15                 (C)  Services Rendered After Judgment in Original
1-16                      Action (Sec. 118.0545):
1-17                       (i)  Abstract of judgment ................ $ 5.00
1-18                       (ii)  Execution, order of sale, writ, or other
1-19                             process ............................ $ 5.00
1-20           (2)  PROBATE COURT ACTIONS
1-21                 (A)  Probate Original Action (Sec. 118.055):
1-22                       (i)  Probate of a will with independent executor,
1-23                            administration with will attached,
1-24                            administration of an estate, guardianship or
 2-1                            receivership of an estate, or muniment of
 2-2                            title .....................  $40.00 [$35.00]
 2-3                       (ii)  Community survivors ....... $40.00 [$20.00]
 2-4                       (iii)  Small estates ............ $40.00 [$10.00]
 2-5                       (iv)  Declarations [Affidavits] of heirship
 2-6                             ........................... $40.00 [$10.00]
 2-7                       (v)  Mental health or chemical dependency
 2-8                            services ............................ $40.00
 2-9                       (vi)  Additional,  special  fee  (Sec.  118.064)
2-10                             ........................... $ 5.00 [$ 3.00]
2-11                 (B)  Services in Pending Probate Action (Sec. 118.056):
2-12                       (i)  Filing an inventory and appraisement after
2-13                            the 120th day after the date of the initial
2-14                            filing of the action ................ $25.00
2-15                            [and recording a document:]
2-16                            [for the first page .................. $ 3.00]
2-17                            [for each additional page or part of a page
2-18                            .................................... $ 2.00]
2-19                       (ii)  Approving and recording bond ....... $ 3.00
2-20                       (iii)  Administering oath ................ $ 2.00
2-21                       (iv)  Filing  annual  or   final  account  of
2-22                             estate ............................. $25.00
2-23                       (v)  Filing application for sale of real or
2-24                            personal property ................... $25.00
2-25                       (vi)  Filing annual or final report of guardian
2-26                             of a person ........................ $10.00
2-27                 (C)  Adverse Probate Action (Sec. 118.057)
 3-1                      .................................. $40.00 [$35.00]
 3-2                 (D)  Claim Against Estate (Sec. 118.058) ....... $ 2.00
 3-3           (3)  OTHER FEES
 3-4                 (A)  Issuing Document (Sec. 118.059):
 3-5                      original document and one copy ............ $ 4.00
 3-6                      each additional set of an original and one copy
 3-7                      ........................................... $ 4.00
 3-8                 (B)  Certified Papers (Sec. 118.060):
 3-9                      for the clerk's certificate ............... $ 5.00
3-10                      plus a fee per page or part of a page of .. $ 1.00
3-11                 (C)  Noncertified Papers (Sec. 118.0605):
3-12                      for each page or part of a page ........... $ 1.00
3-13                 (D)  Letters Testamentary, Letter of Guardianship,
3-14                      Letter of Administration, or Abstract of Judgment
3-15                      (Sec. 118.061) ............................ $ 2.00
3-16                 (E)  Safekeeping of Wills (Sec. 118.062) ....... $ 5.00
3-17                                                                 same as
3-18                 (F)  Mail Service of Process (Sec. 118.063) ... sheriff
3-19                 (G)  Records Management and Preservation Fee ... $ 5.00
3-20           SECTION 2.  Section 118.056, Local Government Code, is
3-21     amended to read as follows:
3-22           Sec. 118.056.  SERVICES IN PENDING PROBATE ACTION.  [(a)  The
3-23     fees for "Services in Pending Probate Action" under Section
3-24     118.052(2) are for services in an action in an open probate docket
3-25     rendered after the filing of an order approving the inventory and
3-26     appraisement or after the 90th day after the date of the initial
3-27     filing of the action, whichever occurs first.]
 4-1           [(b)  The fee for filing a document also applies to each page
 4-2     or part of a page for the filing of a document or exhibit filed by
 4-3     a movant after the filing of an original answer or response, after
 4-4     the filing of an order approving the inventory and appraisement, or
 4-5     after the 90th day after the date of the initial filing of the
 4-6     action, whichever occurs first, and before the filing of an adverse
 4-7     action, contest, suit, or pleading seeking affirmative relief.]
 4-8           [(c)]  Each fee under Section 118.052(2)(B) shall be paid in
 4-9     cash at the time of the filing or the rendering of the service and
4-10     is in addition to other fees prescribed by Section 118.052.
4-11           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
4-12           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
4-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.