| 1 | 1 | | By: Canales H.B. No. 3892 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a study conducted by the Office of Court Administration |
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| 7 | 7 | | of the Texas Judicial System |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 72.032 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Section 72.032. STUDY ON COLLECTIONS OF COURT FEES AND |
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| 12 | 12 | | COSTS. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) Not later than October 1, 2016, the Office of Court |
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| 14 | 14 | | Administration shall conduct a study on court fees and costs that |
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| 15 | 15 | | determines: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) which statutory court fees and costs are assessed in |
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| 17 | 17 | | criminal cases; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) how much money is assessed for each of those court fees |
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| 19 | 19 | | and costs; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) how much money is collected for each of those court fees |
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| 21 | 21 | | and costs; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (4) the average or median amount of money assessed and |
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| 23 | 23 | | collected in court fees and costs per case; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (5) the amount of jail credit given, in dollars; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (6) how much time it takes after assessment for court fees |
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| 26 | 26 | | and costs to be collected, including the percentage collected |
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| 27 | 27 | | immediately; the percentage collected within 30, 60, 90, and 180 |
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| 28 | 28 | | days; and the percentage collected after 180 days. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) Once the study is concluded, the office shall: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) publish the study results on the office's Internet |
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| 31 | 31 | | website and in the Texas Register; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) provide a copy of the study results to the governor, |
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| 33 | 33 | | lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) In conducting the study required under Subsection (a), the |
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| 35 | 35 | | office shall consult with local government representatives as the |
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| 36 | 36 | | office determines appropriate. The office may choose to conduct the |
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| 37 | 37 | | study by examining and analyzing a representative sample of |
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| 38 | 38 | | jurisdictions. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (d) This section expires January 1, 2019. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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