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House Bill 3303




    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3303

        By Representative Brown






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to county court assessments;

  3         amending s. 34.191, F.S.; providing that the

  4         county commission may assign the collection of

  5         fines, court costs, and other costs imposed by

  6         the county court and remaining unpaid after a

  7         certain period to a private attorney or

  8         collection agency under specified

  9         circumstances; providing for authorization by

10         the county commission of any additional fee to

11         offset collection costs; providing an effective

12         date.

13

14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

15

16         Section 1.  Section 34.191, Florida Statutes, is

17  amended to read:

18         34.191  Fines, forfeitures, and costs.--

19         (1)  All fines and forfeitures arising from offenses

20  tried in the county court shall be collected and accounted for

21  by the clerk of the court and deposited in a special trust

22  account. All fines and forfeitures received from violations of

23  ordinances or misdemeanors committed within a county, or of

24  municipal ordinances committed within a municipality within

25  the territorial jurisdiction of the county court, shall be

26  paid monthly to the county or municipality respectively except

27  as provided in s. 318.21 or s. 943.25.

28         (2)  The county commission may assign the collection of

29  fines, court costs, and other costs imposed by the court which

30  remain unpaid for 90 days or more to a private attorney or

31  collection agency that is licensed or registered in this

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3303

    521-156-98






  1  state, if the county commission determines the assignation to

  2  be cost-effective and has followed established bid practices.

  3  The county commission may authorize a fee to be added to the

  4  outstanding balance to offset any collection costs that would

  5  be incurred.

  6         (3)(2)  All court costs assessed in county court must

  7  be paid to and retained by the county, except as provided in

  8  s. 943.25 and subsection (4) (3) of this section.

  9         (4)(3)  If a municipality incurs any cost of operation

10  of the county court, including any cost of prosecution, it may

11  apply to the chief judge of the circuit for an order directing

12  the county to distribute reasonable court costs to the

13  municipality.  If not satisfied with the order of the chief

14  judge, the municipality may apply to the Supreme Court for an

15  order apportioning the costs.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1 of the

17  year in which enacted.

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19            *****************************************

20                          HOUSE SUMMARY

21
      Provides that the county commission may assign the
22    collection of fines, court costs, and other costs imposed
      by the county court and remaining unpaid after a certain
23    period to a private attorney or collection agency under
      specified circumstances.  Provides for authorization by
24    the county commission of any additional fee to offset
      collection costs.
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