H.B. No. 4529
AN ACT
relating to court reporter service fees in certain counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.601, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the clerk of each
court that has an official court reporter and that serves a county
located on the Texas-Mexico border that contains a municipality
with a population of 500,000 or more shall collect a court reporter
service fee of $30 as a court cost in each civil case filed with the
clerk to maintain a court reporter who is available for assignment
in the court.
SECTION 2. Section 103.0211, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 103.0211. ADDITIONAL FEES AND COSTS IN CRIMINAL OR
CIVIL CASES: GOVERNMENT CODE. An accused or defendant, or a party
to a civil suit, as applicable, shall pay the following fees and
costs under the Government Code if ordered by the court or otherwise
required:
(1) a court reporter fee when testimony is taken:
(A) in a criminal court in Dallas County (Sec.
25.0593, Government Code) . . . $3;
(B) in a county criminal court of appeals in
Dallas County (Sec. 25.0594, Government Code) . . . $3;
(C) in a county court at law in McLennan County
(Sec. 25.1572, Government Code) . . . $3; and
(D) in a county criminal court in Tarrant County
(Sec. 25.2223, Government Code) . . . $3;
(2) a court reporter service fee if the courts have
official court reporters (Sec. 51.601, Government Code) . . . $15
or, in specified counties, $30;
(3) a speedy trial filing fee in El Paso County (Sec.
54.745, Government Code) . . . $100;
(4) costs for use of magistrate in Brazos County (Sec.
54.1116, Government Code) . . . not to exceed $50;
(5) the costs of a criminal magistrate if the court
determines that the nonprevailing party is able to defray the
costs:
(A) in Bexar County (Sec. 54.913, Government
Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
(B) in Dallas County (Sec. 54.313, Government
Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
(C) in Lubbock County (Sec. 54.883, Government
Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
(D) in Tarrant County (Sec. 54.663, Government
Code) . . . magistrate's fees;
(E) in Travis County (Sec. 54.983, Government
Code) . . . magistrate's fees; and
(F) in Williamson County (Sec. 54.958,
Government Code) . . . expense of the magistrate;
(6) an administrative fee for participation in certain
community supervision programs (Sec. 76.015, Government Code) . . .
not less than $25 and not more than $40 per month; and
(7) fee paid on filing a petition for an order of
nondisclosure of criminal history record information in certain
cases (Sec. 411.081, Government Code) . . . $28.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a case filed with the clerk of a court that has an official court
reporter on or after the effective date of this Act. A case filed
with the clerk of the court before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective
date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 4529 was passed by the House on April
28, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 149, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 4529 was passed by the Senate on May
23, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor