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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study conducted by the Office of Court Administration |
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of the Texas Judicial System |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 72.032 to read as follows: |
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Section 72.032. STUDY ON COLLECTIONS OF COURT FEES AND |
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COSTS. |
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(a) Not later than October 1, 2016, the Office of Court |
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Administration shall conduct a study on court fees and costs that |
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determines: |
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(1) which statutory court fees and costs are assessed in |
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criminal cases; |
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(2) how much money is assessed for each of those court fees |
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and costs; |
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(3) how much money is collected for each of those court fees |
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and costs; |
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(4) the average or median amount of money assessed and |
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collected in court fees and costs per case; |
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(5) the amount of jail credit given, in dollars; and |
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(6) how much time it takes after assessment for court fees |
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and costs to be collected, including the percentage collected |
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immediately; the percentage collected within 30, 60, 90, and 180 |
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days; and the percentage collected after 180 days. |
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(b) Once the study is concluded, the office shall: |
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(1) publish the study results on the office's Internet |
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website and in the Texas Register; and |
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(2) provide a copy of the study results to the governor, |
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lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. |
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(c) In conducting the study required under Subsection (a), the |
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office shall consult with local government representatives as the |
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office determines appropriate. The office may choose to conduct the |
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study by examining and analyzing a representative sample of |
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jurisdictions. |
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(d) This section expires January 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |