By Haggerty                                           H.B. No. 2497
         77R8587 ATP-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to county fees for handling certain registry funds.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 117.054(b), Local Government Code, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (b)  The interest earned on a special account or a separate
 1-7     account shall be paid in the following amounts:
 1-8                 (1)  5 [10]  percent of the interest shall be paid to
 1-9     the general fund of the county to compensate the county for the
1-10     accounting and administrative expenses of maintaining the account;
1-11     and
1-12                 (2)  95 [90]  percent of the interest shall be credited
1-13     to the special or separate account.
1-14           SECTION 2. Section 117.055(a), Local Government Code, is
1-15     amended to read as follows:
1-16           (a)  To compensate the county for the accounting and
1-17     administrative expenses incurred in handling the registry funds
1-18     that have not earned interest, including funds in a special or
1-19     separate account, the clerk shall, at the time of withdrawal,
1-20     deduct from the amount of the withdrawal a fee in an amount equal
1-21     to 2.5 [five] percent of the withdrawal but that may not exceed $25
1-22     [$50]. Withdrawal of funds generated from a case arising under the
1-23     Family Code is exempt from the fee deduction provided by this
1-24     section.
 2-1           SECTION 3. (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
 2-2           (b)  Section 117.054(b), Local Government Code, as amended by
 2-3     this Act, applies only to the interest earned on a special or
 2-4     separate account on or after the effective date of this Act.
 2-5           (c)  Section 117.055(a), Local Government Code, as amended by
 2-6     this Act, applies only to withdrawals of funds that are made on or
 2-7     after the effective date of this Act.