79R5322 YDB-D
By: Keffer of Eastland H.B. No. 1997
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of an appellate judicial system for the
Eleventh Court of Appeals District.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 22, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 22.2121 to read as follows:
Sec. 22.2121. APPELLATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. (a) The
commissioners court of each county in the Eleventh Court of Appeals
District, on request of the chief justice of the court of appeals,
by order entered in its minutes 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, statutory county courts, probate courts, and
district courts; and
(2) defray costs and expenses incurred by the county
under Section 22.212.
(b) To fund the system, the commissioners court shall set a
court costs fee of $10 for each civil suit filed in county court,
statutory county court, 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 functions. That
officer shall deposit the fee in a separate appellate justice
system fund. 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, 2005.