By Hartnett                                           H.B. No. 1220
         77R1348 JMC-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to payments made to certain counties from the judicial
 1-3     fund and to the creation and use of an excess contributions fund in
 1-4     each of those counties.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Section 25.00212(b), Government Code, is amended
 1-7     to read as follows:
 1-8           (b)  The amounts remitted under Subsection (a)  shall be paid
 1-9     to the county treasury for deposit in the excess contributions fund
1-10     created under Section 25.00213 [county's general fund to be used
1-11     only for court-related purposes for the support of the judiciary as
1-12     provided by Section 21.006].
1-13           SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 25, Government Code, is
1-14     amended by adding Section 25.00213 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 25.00213.  EXCESS CONTRIBUTIONS FUND. (a)  An excess
1-16     contributions fund is created in the county treasury of each county
1-17     that collects the additional fees under Section 51.704.
1-18           (b)  Money in an excess contributions fund created under this
1-19     section may be used only for court-related purposes for the support
1-20     of the statutory probate courts in the county.
1-21           (c)  A county may not reduce the amount of funds provided for
1-22     the support of the statutory probate courts in the county because
1-23     of the availability of funds from the county's excess contributions
1-24     fund.
 2-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-2     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-3     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-4     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-5     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.