By: Williams  S.B. No. 325
         (In the Senate - Filed January 25, 2007; February 14, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
  March 5, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; March 5, 2007,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 325 By:  Wentworth
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the creation of an appellate judicial system for the
  Ninth 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 22.2101 to read as follows:
         Sec. 22.2101.  APPELLATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.  (a)  The
  commissioners court of each county in the Ninth Court of Appeals
  District, 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, county courts at law, probate courts, and district
  courts;
               (2)  defray costs and expenses incurred by the county
  under Section 22.210; and
               (3)  reimburse Jefferson County for supplemental
  salaries and annual benefits paid to the justices.
         (b)  To fund the system, the commissioners court shall set a
  court fee of $5 for each civil suit filed in county court, county
  court at law, probate court, or district court in the county.
         (c)  The court costs fee does not apply to a suit filed by the
  county 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 judicial
  system fund. The commissioners court shall administer the fund to
  establish and maintain a fund system to assist the court of appeals
  in the 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 court of appeals
  for expenditures 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.
         (g)  The chief justice shall reimburse Jefferson County from
  the fund for supplemental salaries and annual benefits paid to the
  justices.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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