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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the operation of the Ninth Court of Appeals District and |
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to the creation of an appellate judicial system for that court of |
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appeals district. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 22.210, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 22.210. NINTH COURT OF APPEALS. (a) The Court of |
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Appeals for the Ninth Court of Appeals District shall be held in the |
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City of Beaumont and the City of Conroe. |
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(b) Jefferson County [The City of Beaumont] shall furnish |
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and equip suitable rooms in the City of Beaumont and Montgomery |
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County shall furnish and equip suitable rooms in the City of Conroe |
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for the court and the justices without expense to the state. |
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(c) The court may transact its business at [in the City of
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Beaumont or] the county seat of any county in the district as the |
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court determines is necessary or convenient. |
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(d) The court shall give preference for the hearing of cases |
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originating in Jefferson, Orange, and Hardin Counties to the City |
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of Beaumont, and the court shall give preference for the hearing of |
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cases originating in Montgomery County to the City of Conroe. |
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(e) Montgomery County shall each fiscal year pay the total |
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amount of the supplemental salaries to the justices of the court. |
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The chief justice of the court shall make reimbursements to |
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Montgomery County out of the appellate judicial system fund |
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established under Section 22.2101 for the total amount of the |
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supplemental salaries paid by Montgomery County to the justices of |
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the court. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 22, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 22.2101 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 22.2101. APPELLATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. (a) The |
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commissioners court of each county in the Ninth Court of Appeals |
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District, by order entered in its minutes, shall establish an |
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appellate judicial system to: |
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(1) assist the court of appeals for the county in the |
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processing of appeals filed with the court of appeals from the |
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county courts, county courts at law, probate courts, and district |
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courts; and |
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(2) defray costs and expenses incurred by the county |
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under Section 22.210. |
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(b) To fund the system, the commissioners court shall set a |
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court costs fee of $5 for each civil suit filed in county court, |
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county court at law, probate court, or district court in the county. |
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(c) The court costs fee does not apply to a suit filed by the |
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county or to a suit for delinquent taxes. |
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(d) The court costs fee shall be taxed, collected, and paid |
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as other court costs in a suit. The clerk of the court shall collect |
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the court costs fee set under this section and pay it to the county |
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officer who performs the county treasurer's functions. That |
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officer shall deposit the fee in a separate appellate judicial |
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system fund. The commissioners court shall administer the fund to |
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establish and maintain a fund system to assist the court of appeals |
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in the district. The fund may not be used for any other purpose. |
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(e) The commissioners court shall monthly order the funds |
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collected under this section to be forwarded to the court of appeals |
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for expenditures by the court of appeals for its judicial system. |
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(f) The commissioners court shall vest management of the |
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system in the chief justice of the court of appeals. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect October 1, 2007. |