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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to fees imposed by certain counties for documents provided |
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by the county clerk. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 191.0045, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (i) to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) A local registrar or county clerk who issues a certified |
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copy of a birth or death certificate shall charge the same fees as |
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charged by the bureau of vital statistics, including the additional |
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fee required under Subsection (e), except as provided by |
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Subsections (g), [and] (h), and (i). |
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(i) A county clerk in a county with a population of 570,000 |
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or more and any part of which is located within the Lower Rio Grande |
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Valley adjacent to an international border may charge a fee for the |
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issuance of a certified copy of a birth certificate or death |
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certificate that exceeds the fee charged by the bureau of vital |
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statistics for the same type of certificate. A fee charged under |
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this subsection may not exceed: |
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(1) for a birth certificate, $2 more than the fee |
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charged by the bureau of vital statistics; and |
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(2) for a death certificate, $4 more than the fee |
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charged by the bureau of vital statistics. |
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SECTION 2. Section 118.011, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read as follows: |
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(g) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a county clerk in a |
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county with a population of 570,000 or more and any part of which is |
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located within the Lower Rio Grande Valley adjacent to an |
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international border may collect the following fees for services |
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rendered to any person: |
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(1) Birth or Death Certificate (Sec. |
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118.015) . . . . . . an amount that does not exceed the amount |
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provided by Section 191.0045(i), Health and Safety Code. |
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(2) Marriage License (Sec. 118.018)$33.00 |
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(3) Declaration of Informal Marriage (Sec. |
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118.019)$28.00 |
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(h) A county that collects a fee under Subsection (g) shall |
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designate: |
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(1) $2 of the fee for a birth certificate for the |
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county to use in providing: |
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(A) child abuse services; and |
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(B) health care for indigent children with |
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cancer; |
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(2) $4 of the fee for a death certificate for the |
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county to use in providing burial services of indigent persons; and |
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(3) $3 of the fee for a marriage license or declaration |
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of informal marriage for the county to use in providing domestic |
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violence and child abuse services. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |