BILL ANALYSIS
By: Jones, Jesse
Committee Report (Unammended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
In 1993, the 73rd Legislature created a fee not to exceed $5 for county courthouse security. This fee is collectable from defendants convicted of a felony or at the time of filing of each civil case filed in a county court, county court at law, or district court. This fee was created when the primary focus was courtroom security. Although the fee has been exceptionally effective in reducing deadly incidents in the courtrooms of Texas, it has never covered the total cost.
Domestic and international threats have caused units of county government to add security deterrents for the safety of the entire courthouse complex(s). Increasing the ceiling for this locally set 12-year-old fee from $5 to $10 will provide additional funds needed for this necessary and new security objective.
House Bill 667 would increase the fee for county courthouse security from $5 to $10.
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
SECTION 1: Amends Section 291.008(a), Local Government Code, by increasing the amount to be collected at the time of filing in each civil case filed in a county court, county court at law, or district court to no more than $10 from $5.
SECTION 2: Amends Article 102.017(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, by increasing the amount of the security fee that a defendant convicted of a felony offense in a district court is required to pay to $10 from $5.
SECTION 3: This Act only applies to a civil case filed on or after the effective date of this Act.
This Act applies in a criminal case only to a cost on conviction for an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. If any element of the offense occurs before the effective date, the offense is committed before the effective date.
SECTION 4. Effective Date
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005