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CS/HB 977 — Clerks of Court
by Justice Appropriations Subcommittee and Rep. Botana and others (CS/SB 1130 by Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice and Senators Hutson and Thompson)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Judiciary Committee (JU)
The bill helps the locally elected clerks of court by increasing funding for their offices. Clerks are allowed to retain service charges that are currently directed to the General Revenue Fund for the issuance of a summons in any civil action. Similarly, the bill allows the clerks to retain an additional portion of the filing fees for dissolution of marriage, probate, and foreclosure cases. The bill also changes the requirement for transfer of a clerk’s budget overage to the Department of Revenue from monthly to quarterly.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, these provisions take effect July 1, 2023.
Vote: Senate 38-0; House 114-0