LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 14, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on
               Judicial Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1884  by Thompson (Relating to filing fees for certain
               types of actions.), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would amend Section 51.317 of the Government Code, increasing
filing fees to be collected by district clerks in civil cases.
Currently, the filing fee is $45 and applies regardless of the number of
plaintiffs to the suit.  The bill would increase the fee based on the
number of plaintiffs, with a fee of $60 for cases with ten or fewer
plaintiffs and increasing up to $175 for cases with 1,000 or more
plaintiffs.

Based on a survey conducted by the Office of Court Administration
covering civil cases filed in fiscal year 1999, it is estimated that over
99 percent of all civil cases filed in district court have less than 11
plaintiffs.  In fiscal year 2000, district clerks reported there were
387,390 civil cases filed in their courts.  Increasing the $45 filing fee
to $60 would increase county revenues by approximately $5.8 million per
year.
  
  
Source Agencies:   212   Office of Court Administration
LBB Staff:         JK, TB, DB