BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3361

By: Canales

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that in certain counties, such as Hidalgo County, the amount of the court reporter service fee collected in civil cases inadequately provides for the cost of services provided by court reporters. H.B. 3361 seeks to address this issue by providing for an increase in the amount of the court reporter service fee in certain counties.

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. 3361 amends the Government Code to change the counties in which a $30 court reporter service fee is collected by the clerk of each court in which a civil case is filed that has an official court reporter from a county served by the court that is located on the Texas-Mexico border that contains a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more to a county served by the court with a population of 750,000 or more and located on that border.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.