HB42 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jim HillRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

District courts, jurisdictional limit increased, filing fees and docket fees revised, Secs. 12-11-30, 12-12-30, 12-19-71, 12-19-72 am'd.

Summary

HB42 would shift Alabama civil court jurisdiction so district courts handle most civil cases up to $25,000 and circuit courts handle cases above $25,000, and it would update filing fees to match the new system.

What This Bill Does

The bill raises district court civil jurisdiction to include cases where the matter in controversy is $25,000 or less, and moves cases over $25,000 to circuit court. It rewrites the filing fee statutes to reflect the new split between district and circuit courts, changing how much you pay to file and how those fees are distributed to state funds, county funds, and other purposes. The changes take effect January 1, 2017.

Who It Affects

• Civil litigants (individuals and businesses) who sue or are sued in Alabama, because most cases up to $25,000 would be filed in district court instead of circuit court, and fees would be different.
• Court staff, lawyers, and the general public who file cases and pay or collect filing fees, since the fee structure and distributions would be updated to reflect the new jurisdiction.

Key Provisions

• Increases district court civil jurisdiction to $25,000 or less and places civil cases above that amount in circuit court (i.e., the new threshold is $25,000).
• Amends Sections 12-11-30, 12-12-30, 12-19-71, and 12-19-72 to implement the new jurisdiction and to revise filing fees accordingly.
• Revises the filing fee amounts and how those fees are distributed to various funds (such as the Fair Trial Tax Fund, State General Fund, Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Fund, and county funds).
• Effective date of the changes is January 1, 2017.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Courts