BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 686

By: Clardy

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Concerns have been raised about the challenges that adverse environmental effects and insufficient funding pose for district and county clerks discharging their duties to manage and preserve records. It has been suggested that temporary increases in certain fees related to the management and preservation of records, which are set to expire September 1, 2019, should be made permanent. H.B. 686 seeks to address these concerns by making permanent the increase of caps on the district court records archive fee, the county records management and preservation fee, and the county records archive fee.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

H.B. 686 amends the Government Code to make permanent the temporary increase, from a $5 cap to a $10 cap, of the cap on the district court records archive fee collected by district clerks.

 

H.B. 686 amends the Local Government Code to make permanent the temporary increase, from a $5 cap to a $10 cap, of the caps on the records management and preservation fee and the records archive fee collected by county clerks.

 

H.B. 686 makes Government Code provisions requiring the comptroller of public accounts to identify and prepare a list of new or amended court costs or fees following each regular session of the legislature inapplicable to a court fee assessed under a statute amended by the bill.  

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.