83R10744 YDB-D
By: West S.B. No. 1147
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the electronic filing system established by rule or
order of the Texas Supreme Court; authorizing fees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 72.031 to read as follows:
Sec. 72.031. ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. (a) In this
section:
(1) "Appellate court" means the supreme court, the
court of criminal appeals, or a court of appeals.
(2) "Electronic filing system" means the filing system
established by supreme court rule or order for the electronic
filing of documents in courts of this state.
(3) "Electronic filing transaction" means the
simultaneous electronic filing of one or more documents related to
a proceeding before a court in this state.
(4) "Local government" means a county or municipality.
(b) The office as authorized by supreme court rule or order
may implement an electronic filing system for use in the courts of
this state.
(c) A local government or appellate court that uses the
electronic filing system may charge a fee of $2 for each electronic
filing transaction if:
(1) the fee is necessary to recover the actual system
operating costs directly and reasonably incurred by the local
government or appellate court to:
(A) accept electronic payment methods; or
(B) interface with other technology information
systems;
(2) the fee does not include an amount to recover local
government or appellate court employee costs;
(3) the local government or appellate court approves
the fee using the local government or appellate court's standard
approval process for fee increases; and
(4) the chief financial officer of the local
government or appellate court annually certifies to the office on a
form prescribed by the office that the amount of the fee is
necessary to recover the actual system operating costs incurred by
the local government or appellate court.
(d) A local government or appellate court that uses the
electronic filing system may accept electronic payment methods,
including payments made with credit and debit cards.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.