By:  Goolsby, Wohlgemuth (Senate Sponsor - Madla)                 H.B. No. 249
	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2003; 
May 9, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on 
Intergovernmental Relations; May 22, 2003, reported adversely, 
with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 4, 
Nays 0; May 22, 2003, sent to printer.)


COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 249                                    By:  Madla


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the returned check fee collected by a county clerk.             
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 3.506(a), Business & Commerce Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(a)  On return of a check to the holder following dishonor of 
the check by a payor, the holder, the holder's assignee, agent, or 
representative, or any other person retained by the holder to seek 
collection of the face value of the dishonored check may charge the 
drawer or endorser a reasonable processing fee of not more than $30
[$25].
	SECTION 2.  Section 118.011(b), Local Government Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(b)  The county clerk may set and collect the following fee 
from any person: 
		(1)  Returned   Check   (Sec.  118.0215) not less 
than $15 or more than $30 [$25]
		(2)  Records Management and Preservation Fee (Sec. 
118.0216) not more than $5
		(3)  Mental Health Background Check for License to 
Carry a Concealed Weapon (Sec. 118.0217) not more than $2
	SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to 
a check issued on or after the effective date of this Act.  A check 
issued before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law 
in effect at the time the check was issued, and the former law is 
continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           



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