BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                             H.B. 950

                                                                                                                                          By: Casteel

                                                                                                                                    County Affairs

                                                                                                    Committee Report (Unammended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Chapter 118, Local Government Code provides a fee schedule for the collection of certain fees for services.  Under current law, a county clerk collects $2.00 for personal property records filings which may include an affidavit, power of attorney, DBA, DD-214 or any other filing not affecting real property.  Additionally, a county clerk collects $3.00 for the first page of each real property records filing, $2.00 for each additional page containing visible marks and $2.00 for all or part of each 8 1/2” x 14” attachment or rider.  The fees under current law have not been increased in over 25 years despite the increase in costs associated with conduction county business.

 

H.B. 950 proposes to increase these fees to help offset the rising costs associated with conduction business and maintaining offices in a county.  H.B. 950 proposes to increase the personal property records filing to $5.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page containing visible marks.  H.B. 950 also proposes to increase the real property records filing to $5.00 for the first page, $4.00 for each additional page containing visible marks and $4.00 for each 8 ½” x 14” attachment or rider.

 

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 118.011(a), Local Government Code, which makes the fee for personal property records filings $5.00 for the first page, and increases the fee from $2.00 to $4.00 for each additional page with any visible marks.  The fee for real property records filings is increased from $3.00 to $5.00, from $2.00 to $4.00 for each additional page with any visible marks, and from $2.00 to $4.00 for each 8 ½” x 14” attachment or rider.

 

SECTION 2.   The change in law applies only to fees that become payable on or after the effective date of this Act.

 

SECTION 3.   Effective Date

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2005