By: Eltife S.B. No. 659
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of an appellate judicial system for the
  Twelfth 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 22.2131 to read as follows:
         Sec. 22.2131.  APPELLATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.  (a)  The
  commissioners court of each county in the Twelfth Court of Appeals
  District, by order entered in its minutes, shall establish an
  appellate judicial system to 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.
         (b)  To fund the system, the commissioners court shall set a
  court costs fee of $5 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 judicial
  system fund. The commissioners court shall administer the fund to
  establish and maintain a fund system to assist the Twelfth Court of
  Appeals District and any other court of appeals district that has an
  appellate judicial system in the county. 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 in equal amounts to
  each clerk of a court of appeals that has an appellate judicial
  system in the county 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.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.06114 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.06114.  ADDITIONAL DISTRICT COURT FEES: GOVERNMENT
  CODE. The clerk of a district court in the Twelfth Court of Appeals
  District shall collect an appellate judicial system filing fee of
  $5 under Section 22.2131, Government Code.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter E, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.08113 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.08113.  ADDITIONAL STATUTORY COUNTY COURT FEES:
  GOVERNMENT CODE. The clerk of a statutory county court in the
  Twelfth Court of Appeals District shall collect an appellate
  judicial system filing fee of $5 under Section 22.2131, Government
  Code.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter F, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.10113 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.10113.  ADDITIONAL STATUTORY PROBATE COURT FEES:
  GOVERNMENT CODE. The clerk of a statutory probate court in the
  Twelfth Court of Appeals District shall collect an appellate
  judicial system filing fee of $5 under Section 22.2131, Government
  Code.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter G, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.12122 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.12122.  ADDITIONAL COUNTY COURT FEES:  GOVERNMENT
  CODE.  The clerk of a county court in a county in the Twelfth Court
  of Appeals District shall collect an appellate judicial system
  filing fee of $5 under Section 22.2131, Government Code.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.