By: Chavez (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh) H.B. No. 4529
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2009;
  May 6, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Jurisprudence; May 21, 2009, reported favorably by the following
  vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 21, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to court reporter service fees in certain counties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.601, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the clerk of each
  court that has an official court reporter and that serves a county
  located on the Texas-Mexico border that contains a municipality
  with a population of 500,000 or more shall collect a court reporter
  service fee of $30 as a court cost in each civil case filed with the
  clerk to maintain a court reporter who is available for assignment
  in the court.
         SECTION 2.  Section 103.0211, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 103.0211.  ADDITIONAL FEES AND COSTS IN CRIMINAL OR
  CIVIL CASES: GOVERNMENT CODE.  An accused or defendant, or a party
  to a civil suit, as applicable, shall pay the following fees and
  costs under the Government Code if ordered by the court or otherwise
  required:
               (1)  a court reporter fee when testimony is taken:
                     (A)  in a criminal court in Dallas County (Sec.
  25.0593, Government Code) . . . $3;
                     (B)  in a county criminal court of appeals in
  Dallas County (Sec. 25.0594, Government Code) . . . $3;
                     (C)  in a county court at law in McLennan County
  (Sec. 25.1572, Government Code) . . . $3; and
                     (D)  in a county criminal court in Tarrant County
  (Sec. 25.2223, Government Code) . . . $3;
               (2)  a court reporter service fee if the courts have
  official court reporters (Sec. 51.601, Government Code) . . . $15
  or, in specified counties, $30;
               (3)  a speedy trial filing fee in El Paso County (Sec.
  54.745, Government Code) . . . $100;
               (4)  costs for use of magistrate in Brazos County (Sec.
  54.1116, Government Code) . . . not to exceed $50;
               (5)  the costs of a criminal magistrate if the court
  determines that the nonprevailing party is able to defray the
  costs:
                     (A)  in Bexar County (Sec. 54.913, Government
  Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
                     (B)  in Dallas County (Sec. 54.313, Government
  Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
                     (C)  in Lubbock County (Sec. 54.883, Government
  Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
                     (D)  in Tarrant County (Sec. 54.663, Government
  Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
                     (E)  in Travis County (Sec. 54.983, Government
  Code) . . . magistrate's fees; and
                     (F)  in Williamson County (Sec. 54.958,
  Government Code) . . . expense of the magistrate;
               (6)  an administrative fee for participation in certain
  community supervision programs (Sec. 76.015, Government Code) . . .
  not less than $25 and not more than $40 per month; and
               (7)  fee paid on filing a petition for an order of
  nondisclosure of criminal history record information in certain
  cases (Sec. 411.081, Government Code) . . . $28.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a case filed with the clerk of a court that has an official court
  reporter on or after the effective date of this Act. A case filed
  with the clerk of the court before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective
  date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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