C.S.H.B. 326 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 326 By: McCall Judicial Affairs Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, there are six district courts in Collin County. Rapid population growth in Collin County has greatly increased the caseload of existing courts. C.S.H.B. 326 creates two new judicial districts in Collin County in 2004, with one of these giving preference to juvenile matters. C.S.H.B. 326 also provides for the local funding of these new judicial districts through additional filing fees. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 326 amends the Government Code to create two new judicial districts in Collin County. The 416th and 417th judicial districts are created January 1, 2004, with the 417th District Court to give preference to juvenile matters. The bill creates an additional filing fee of $35 for each case filed in a Collin County district court, with the proceeds to be used to pay the judges of the 416th and 417th judicial districts an annual salary in an amount equal to the total salary that would otherwise be paid to those judges under Section 659.012 of the Government Code. The commissioners court may use any remaining money raised by these filing fees to pay additional compensation to those judges as well as the operating expenses of the 416th and 417th judicial districts. The bill also sets forth provisions for certain resolutions by the commissioners court pertaining to these filing fees, and provides that unless abolished under other provisions of the bill, the fees are abolished on January 1, 2014. EFFECTIVE DATE January 1, 2004. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute creates two, not three judicial districts. The substitute also provides that these courts are to be funded by filing fees collected in the district courts of Collin County for a certain period of time.