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  H.B. No. 2359
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the collection of certain filing fees by statutory
  probate courts for deposit in the judicial fund, the use of those
  deposits, and the remittance of the excess of those deposits.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 25.00212(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  At the end of each state fiscal year, the comptroller
  shall determine the amounts deposited in the judicial fund under
  Section 51.704 and the sum of the amount paid under Section
  25.0022(e) and the total amounts paid to the counties under Section
  25.00211. If the total amount deposited [paid] under Section
  51.704 by all counties exceeds that sum [the total amount paid to
  counties under Section 25.00211], the state shall remit the excess
  proportionately to each county that deposited a greater amount in
  the judicial fund under Section 51.704 than the amount the county
  was paid under Section 25.00211, as adjusted in an equitable manner
  to reflect the differences in the total amounts paid to the counties
  under Section 25.00211 [the counties proportionately based on the
  percentage of the total paid by each county].
         SECTION 2.  Section 25.0022(e), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (e)  In addition to all other compensation, expenses, and
  perquisites authorized by law, the presiding judge shall be paid
  for performing the duties of a presiding judge an annual salary
  equal to the maximum salary authorized by Section 74.051(b) for a
  presiding judge of an administrative judicial region. The
  presiding judge is entitled to receive reasonable expenses incurred
  in administering those duties. The state shall pay $5,000 of the
  salary in equal monthly installments from amounts deposited in the
  judicial fund under Section 51.704 and appropriated for that
  purpose, and the remainder of the salary and expenses is [are] paid
  by the counties that have statutory probate courts, apportioned
  according to the number of statutory probate courts in the county.
         SECTION 3.  The heading to Section 51.704, Government Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.704.  ADDITIONAL FEES IN [CERTAIN] STATUTORY PROBATE
  COURTS.
         SECTION 4.  Section 51.704(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  In [Except as provided by Subsection (f), in] addition
  to all other fees authorized or required by other law, the clerk of
  a statutory probate court shall collect a $40 filing fee in each
  probate, guardianship, mental health, or civil case filed in the
  court to be used for court-related purposes for the support of the
  judiciary.
         SECTION 5.  Section 101.101, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 101.101.  STATUTORY PROBATE COURT FEES AND COSTS.  The
  clerk of a statutory probate court shall collect fees and costs as
  follows:
               (1)  court cost in certain civil cases to establish and
  maintain an alternative dispute resolution system, if authorized by
  the county commissioners court (Sec. 152.004, Civil Practice and
  Remedies Code) . . . not to exceed $10;
               (2)  appellate judicial system filing fees:
                     (A)  First or Fourteenth Court of Appeals District
  (Sec. 22.2021, Government Code) . . . not more than $5;
                     (B)  Second Court of Appeals District (Sec.
  22.2031, Government Code) . . . not more than $5;
                     (C)  Fourth Court of Appeals District (Sec.
  22.2051, Government Code) . . . not more than $5;
                     (D)  Fifth Court of Appeals District (Sec.
  22.2061, Government Code) . . . not more than $5; and
                     (E)  Thirteenth Court of Appeals District (Sec.
  22.2141, Government Code) . . . not more than $5;
               (3)  additional filing fees as follows:
                     (A)  for certain cases to be used for
  court-related purposes for support of the judiciary[, if authorized
  by the county commissioners court] (Sec. 51.704, Government Code)
  . . . $40;
                     (B)  to fund the improvement of Dallas County
  civil court facilities, if authorized by the county commissioners
  court (Sec. 51.705, Government Code) . . . not more than $15; and
                     (C)  for filing 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 fund civil legal
  services for the indigent (Sec. 133.153, Local Government Code)
  . . . $5;
               (4)  for filing an application for registration of
  death (Sec. 193.007, Health and Safety Code) . . . $1;
               (5)  fee for judge's services on an application for
  court-ordered mental health services (Sec. 574.031, Health and
  Safety Code) . . . not to exceed $50;
               (6)  fee for prosecutor's services on an application
  for court-ordered mental health services (Sec. 574.031, Health and
  Safety Code) . . . not to exceed $50;
               (7)  additional filing fee to fund contingency fund for
  liability insurance, if authorized by the county commissioners
  court (Sec. 82.003, Local Government Code) . . . not to exceed $5;
               (8)  probate court actions (Sec. 118.052, Local
  Government Code):
                     (A)  probate original action (Secs. 118.052 and
  118.055, Local Government Code):
                           (i)  probate of a will with independent
  executor, administration with will attached, administration of an
  estate, guardianship or receivership of an estate, or muniment of
  title (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $40;
                           (ii)  community survivors (Sec. 118.052,
  Local Government Code) . . . $40;
                           (iii)  small estates (Sec. 118.052, Local
  Government Code) . . . $40;
                           (iv)  declarations of heirship (Sec.
  118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $40;
                           (v)  mental health or chemical dependency
  services (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $40; and
                           (vi)  additional, special fee (Secs. 118.052
  and 118.064, Local Government Code) . . . $5;
                     (B)  services in pending probate action (Secs.
  118.052 and 118.056, Local Government Code):
                           (i)  filing an inventory and appraisement
  after the 120th day after the date of the initial filing of the
  action (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $25;
                           (ii)  approving and recording bond (Sec.
  118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $3;
                           (iii)  administering oath (Sec. 118.052,
  Local Government Code) . . . $2;
                           (iv)  filing annual or final account of
  estate (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $25;
                           (v)  filing application for sale of real or
  personal property (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $25;
                           (vi)  filing annual or final report of
  guardian of a person (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code) . . .
  $10; and
                           (vii)  filing a document not listed under
  this paragraph after the filing of an order approving the inventory
  and appraisement or after the 120th day after the date of the
  initial filing of the action, whichever occurs first (Secs. 118.052
  and 191.007, Local Government Code), if more than 25 pages . . .
  $25;
                     (C)  adverse probate action (Secs. 118.052 and
  118.057, Local Government Code) . . . $40; and
                     (D)  claim against estate (Secs. 118.052 and
  118.058, Local Government Code) . . . $2;
               (9)  other fees (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code):
                     (A)  issuing document (Secs. 118.052 and 118.059,
  Local Government Code):
                           (i)  original document and one copy (Sec.
  118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $4; and
                           (ii)  each additional set of an original and
  one copy (Sec. 118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $4;
                     (B)  certified papers (Secs. 118.052 and 118.060,
  Local Government Code):
                           (i)  for the clerk's certificate (Sec.
  118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $5; and
                           (ii)  a fee per page or part of a page (Sec.
  118.052, Local Government Code) . . . $1;
                     (C)  noncertified papers, for each page or part of
  a page (Secs. 118.052 and 118.0605, Local Government Code) . . .
  $1;
                     (D)  letters testamentary, letter of
  guardianship, letter of administration, or abstract of judgment
  (Secs. 118.052 and 118.061, Local Government Code) . . . $2;
                     (E)  safekeeping of wills (Secs. 118.052 and
  118.062, Local Government Code) . . . $5;
                     (F)  mail service of process (Secs. 118.052 and
  118.063, Local Government Code) . . . same as sheriff; and
                     (G)  records management and preservation fee
  (Secs. 118.052 and 118.0645, Local Government Code) . . . $5;
               (10)  fee for deposit of a will with the county clerk
  during testator's lifetime (Sec. 71, Texas Probate Code) . . . $3;
               (11)  court costs for each special commissioner in an
  eminent domain proceeding (Sec. 21.047, Property Code) . . . as
  taxed by the court, $10 or more;
               (12)  jury fee for civil case (Sec. 51.604, Government
  Code) . . . $22;
               (13)  court cost in civil cases other than suits for
  delinquent taxes to fund the county law library fund, if authorized
  by the county commissioners court (Sec. 323.023, Local Government
  Code) . . . not to exceed $35;
               (14)  the expense of preserving the record as a court
  cost, if imposed on a party by the referring court or associate
  judge (Sec. 54.612, Government Code) . . . actual cost;
               (15)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the personal representative of an estate, an application,
  complaint, or opposition in relation to the estate, if required by
  the clerk (Sec. 12, Texas Probate Code) . . . probable cost of the
  proceeding;
               (16)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the guardian, attorney ad litem, or guardian ad litem, an
  application, complaint, or opposition in relation to a guardianship
  matter, if required by the clerk (Sec. 622, Texas Probate Code)
  . . . probable cost of the guardianship proceeding;
               (17)  for a hearing or proceeding under the Texas
  Mental Health Code (Subtitle C, Title 7, Health and Safety Code) as
  costs (Secs. 571.017 and 571.018, Health and Safety Code) . . .
  reasonable compensation to the following persons appointed under
  the Texas Mental Health Code:
                     (A)  attorneys;
                     (B)  physicians;
                     (C)  language interpreters;
                     (D)  sign interpreters; and
                     (E)  masters;
               (18)  for a hearing or proceeding under the Texas
  Mental Health Code (Subtitle C, Title 7, Health and Safety Code) as
  costs (Sec. 571.018, Health and Safety Code):
                     (A)  attorney's fees;
                     (B)  physician examination fees;
                     (C)  expense of transportation to a mental health
  facility or to a federal agency not to exceed $50 if transporting
  within the same county and not to exceed the reasonable cost of
  transportation if transporting between counties;
                     (D)  costs and salary supplements authorized
  under Section 574.031, Health and Safety Code; and
                     (E)  prosecutors' fees authorized under Section
  574.031, Health and Safety Code;
               (19)  expenses of transporting certain patients from
  the county of treatment to a hearing in the county in which the
  proceedings originated (Sec. 574.008, Health and Safety Code) . . .
  actual expenses unless certain arrangements are made to hold the
  hearing in the county in which the patient is receiving services;
               (20)  expenses for expert witness testimony for an
  indigent patient (Sec. 574.010, Health and Safety Code) . . . if
  authorized by the court as reimbursement to the attorney ad litem,
  court-approved expenses;
               (21)  fee for judge's services for holding a hearing on
  an application for court-ordered mental health services (Sec.
  574.031, Health and Safety Code) . . . as assessed by the judge, not
  to exceed $50;
               (22)  expenses to reimburse judge for holding a hearing
  in a hospital or location other than the county courthouse (Sec.
  574.031, Health and Safety Code) . . . reasonable and necessary
  expenses as certified;
               (23)  fee for services of a prosecuting attorney,
  including costs incurred for preparation of documents related to a
  hearing on an application for court-ordered mental health services
  (Sec. 574.031, Health and Safety Code) . . . as assessed by the
  judge, not to exceed $50; and
               (24)  a fee not otherwise listed in this section that is
  required to be collected under Section 25.0029, Government Code
  (Sec. 25.0029, Government Code) . . . as prescribed by law relating
  to county judges' fees.
         SECTION 6.  Section 133.004, Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 133.004.  CIVIL FEES. This chapter applies to the
  following civil fees:
               (1)  the consolidated fee on filing in district court
  imposed under Section 133.151;
               (2)  the filing fee in district court for basic civil
  legal services for indigents imposed under Section 133.152;
               (3)  the filing fee in courts other than district court
  for basic civil legal services for indigents imposed under Section
  133.153;
               (4)  the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in
  certain statutory county courts under Section 51.702, Government
  Code;
               (5)  the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in
  certain county courts under Section 51.703, Government Code;
               (6)  the filing fees for the judicial fund imposed in
  [certain] statutory probate courts under Section 51.704,
  Government Code;
               (7)  fees collected under Section 118.015;
               (8)  marriage license fees for the family trust fund
  collected under Section 118.018;
               (9)  marriage license or declaration of informal
  marriage fees for the child abuse and neglect prevention trust fund
  account collected under Section 118.022; and
               (10)  the filing fee for the judicial fund imposed in
  district court, statutory county court, and county court under
  Section 133.154.
         SECTION 7.  Sections 51.704(e), (f), (g), and (h),
  Government Code, are repealed.
         SECTION 8.  Section 25.00212, Government Code, as amended by
  this Act, applies to the determination of excess contributions and
  remittance of those contributions under that section beginning with
  the determination and remittance occurring at the end of state
  fiscal year 2008.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2359 was passed by the House on April
  13, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 143, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2359 was passed by the Senate on May
  22, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor