Bill Text: TX SB1146 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the statewide electronic filing system fund and to certain court fees and court costs to fund the account; imposing fees.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-03 - Committee report printed and distributed [SB1146 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-SB1146-Comm_Sub.html
 
 
  By: West, Duncan  S.B. No. 1146
         (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 2013; March 12, 2013, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
  April 3, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 3, 2013,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1146 By:  West
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the establishment of the statewide electronic filing
  system fund and to certain court fees and court costs to fund the
  account; imposing fees.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 51, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter I-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER I-1. ELECTRONIC FILING FEE
         Sec. 51.851.  ELECTRONIC FILING FEE. (a)  In this section,
  "conviction" has the meaning assigned by Section 133.101, Local
  Government Code.
         (b)  In addition to other fees authorized or required by law,
  the clerk of the supreme court, a court of appeals, a district
  court, a county court, a statutory county court, or a statutory
  probate court shall collect a $20 fee on the filing of any civil
  action or proceeding requiring a filing fee, including an appeal,
  and on the filing of any counterclaim, cross-action, intervention,
  interpleader, or third-party action requiring a filing fee to be
  used as provided by Section 51.852.
         (c)  In addition to other fees authorized or required by law,
  the clerk of a justice court shall collect a $5 fee on the filing of
  any civil action or proceeding requiring a filing fee, including an
  appeal, and on the filing of any counterclaim, cross-action,
  intervention, interpleader, or third-party action requiring a
  filing fee to be used as provided by Section 51.852.
         (d)  In addition to other court costs, a person shall pay $5
  as a court cost on conviction of any criminal offense in a district
  court, county court, or statutory county court.
         (e)  A court may waive payment of a court cost or fee due
  under this section for an individual the court determines is
  indigent.
         (f)  Court costs and fees due under this section shall be
  collected in the same manner as other fees, fines, or costs in the
  case.
         (g)  The clerk shall send the court costs and fees collected
  under this section to the comptroller not later than the last day of
  the month following each calendar quarter.
         (h)  The comptroller shall deposit the court costs and fees
  received under this section to the credit of the statewide
  electronic filing system fund established under Section 51.852.
         Sec. 51.852.  STATEWIDE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM FUND.
  (a)  The statewide electronic filing system fund is an account in
  the general revenue fund.
         (b)  Money in the statewide electronic filing system fund may
  only be appropriated to the Office of Court Administration of the
  Texas Judicial System and used to:
               (1)  support a statewide electronic filing technology
  project for courts in this state;
               (2)  provide grants to counties to implement components
  of the project; or
               (3)  support court technology projects that have a
  statewide impact as determined by the office of court
  administration.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.0211 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.0211.  ADDITIONAL SUPREME COURT FEES:  GOVERNMENT
  CODE.  The clerk of the supreme court shall collect a statewide
  electronic filing system fund fee of $20 under Section 51.851,
  Government Code.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter C, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.0411 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.0411.  ADDITIONAL COURT OF APPEALS FEES:  
  GOVERNMENT CODE.  The clerk of a court of appeals shall collect a
  statewide electronic filing system fund fee of $20 under Section
  51.851, Government Code.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter D, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.06118 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.06118.  ADDITIONAL DISTRICT COURT FEES:  GOVERNMENT
  CODE.  The clerk of a district court shall collect a statewide
  electronic filing system fund fee of $20 under Section 51.851,
  Government Code.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter E, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.08117 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.08117.  ADDITIONAL STATUTORY COUNTY COURT FEES:  
  GOVERNMENT CODE.  The clerk of a statutory county court shall
  collect a statewide electronic filing system fund fee of $20 under
  Section 51.851, Government Code.
         SECTION 6.  Subchapter F, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.10116 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.10116.  ADDITIONAL STATUTORY PROBATE COURT FEES:  
  GOVERNMENT CODE.  The clerk of a statutory probate court shall
  collect a statewide electronic filing system fund fee of $20 under
  Section 51.851, Government Code.
         SECTION 7.  Subchapter G, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.12126 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.12126.  ADDITIONAL COUNTY COURT FEES:  GOVERNMENT
  CODE.  The clerk of a county court shall collect a statewide
  electronic filing system fund fee of $20 under Section 51.851,
  Government Code.
         SECTION 8.  Subchapter H, Chapter 101, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 101.1411 to read as follows:
         Sec. 101.1411.  ADDITIONAL JUSTICE COURT FEES:  GOVERNMENT
  CODE.  The clerk of a justice court shall collect a statewide
  electronic filing system fund fee of $5 under Section 51.851,
  Government Code.
         SECTION 9.  Subchapter C, Chapter 102, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 102.0415 to read as follows:
         Sec. 102.0415.  ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN
  DISTRICT COURT:  GOVERNMENT CODE.  The clerk of a district court
  shall collect from a defendant a court cost on conviction of $5
  under Section 51.851, Government Code.
         SECTION 10.  Subchapter D, Chapter 102, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 102.0615 to read as follows:
         Sec. 102.0615.  ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN
  STATUTORY COUNTY COURT:  GOVERNMENT CODE.  The clerk of a statutory
  county court shall collect from a defendant a court cost on
  conviction of $5 under Section 51.851, Government Code.
         SECTION 11.  Subchapter E, Chapter 102, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 102.082 to read as follows:
         Sec. 102.082.  ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN
  COUNTY COURT:  GOVERNMENT CODE.  The clerk of a county court shall
  collect from a defendant a court cost on conviction of $5 under
  Section 51.851, Government Code.
         SECTION 12.  Subsection (d), Section 133.058, Local
  Government Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  A county may not retain a service fee on the collection
  of a fee:
               (1)  for the judicial fund; [or]
               (2)  under Sections 14 and 19, Article 42.12, Code of
  Criminal Procedure; or
               (3)  under Section 51.851, Government Code.
         SECTION 13.  Subsection (a), Section 33.48, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In addition to other costs authorized by law, a taxing
  unit is entitled to recover the following costs and expenses in a
  suit to collect a delinquent tax:
               (1)  all usual court costs, including the cost of
  serving process and electronic filing fees;
               (2)  costs of filing for record a notice of lis pendens
  against property;
               (3)  expenses of foreclosure sale;
               (4)  reasonable expenses that are incurred by the
  taxing unit in determining the name, identity, and location of
  necessary parties and in procuring necessary legal descriptions of
  the property on which a delinquent tax is due;
               (5)  attorney's fees in the amount of 15 percent of the
  total amount of taxes, penalties, and interest due the unit; and
               (6)  reasonable attorney ad litem fees approved by the
  court that are incurred in a suit in which the court orders the
  appointment of an attorney to represent the interests of a
  defendant served with process by means of citation by publication
  or posting.
         SECTION 14.  Subsection (a), Section 33.49, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), a taxing unit is
  not liable in a suit to collect taxes for court costs, including any
  fees for service of process, electronic filing, an attorney ad
  litem, arbitration, or mediation, and may not be required to post
  security for costs.
         SECTION 15.  The imposition of a cost of court on conviction
  under Section 51.851, Government Code, as added by this Act,
  applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date
  of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this
  Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
  purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
  effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was
  committed before that date.
         SECTION 16.  (a)  Section 51.607, Government Code, does not
  apply to the imposition of a fee assessed under:
               (1)  Section 51.851, Government Code, as added by this
  Act;
               (2)  Section 101.0211, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (3)  Section 101.0411, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (4)  Section 101.06118, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (5)  Section 101.08117, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (6)  Section 101.10116, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (7)  Section 101.12126, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (8)  Section 101.1411, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (9)  Section 102.0415, Government Code, as added by
  this Act;
               (10)  Section 102.0615, Government Code, as added by
  this Act; or
               (11)  Section 102.082, Government Code, as added by
  this Act.
         (b)  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a fee
  that becomes payable on or after September 1, 2013. A fee that
  becomes payable before that date is governed by the law in effect
  when the fee became payable, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 17.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
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