By:  Gallego                                                      H.B. No. 3270



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to establishing an appellate judicial system for the 
eighth court of appeals.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 22, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Section 22.2091 to read as follows:
	22.2091  Appellate Judicial System  (a)  The commissioners 
court of each county in the Eighth Court of Appeals, upon request of 
the chief justice of the court of appeals, shall establish an 
appellate judicial system to:
		(1)  assist the court of appeals for the county in the 
processing of appeals filed with the court of appeals from the 
county courts, county courts at law, probate courts, and district 
courts; and
		(2)  defray costs and expenses incurred by the county 
under Section 22.209.
	(b)  To fund the system, the commissioners court shall set a 
court costs fee of $5 for each civil suit filed in county court, 
county court at law, probate court, or district court in the county.
	(c)  The court costs fee does not apply to a suit filed by any 
governmental entity, or to a suit for delinquent taxes.
	(d)  The court costs fee shall be taxed, collected, and paid 
as other court costs in a suit.  The clerk of the court shall collect 
the court costs fee set under this section and pay it to the county 
officer who performs the county treasurer's function.  The 
commissioners court shall establish and maintain the fund to assist 
the court of appeals district. The fund may not be used for any 
other purpose.
	(e)  The commissioners court shall monthly order the funds 
collected under this section to be forwarded to the clerk of the 
court of appeals for expenditure by the court of appeals for its 
judicial system.
	(f)  the commissioners court shall vest management of the 
system in the chief justice of the court of appeals.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.