HB 374

Relating to Baldwin County; to amend Section 45-2-80.87 of the Code of Alabama 1975, relating to court costs collected to operate the Baldwin County Law Library and Judicial Administration Fund; and to remove the expiration date of September 30, 2019.

Section 1

Section 45-2-80.87 of the Code of Alabama 1975, is amended to read as follows:

§45-2-80.87.

(a) In addition to any court costs and fees now or hereafter authorized in Baldwin County, excluding all municipal courts, additional court costs in an amount not to exceed fifteen dollars ($15) shall be assessed and taxed as costs on each civil case and on each criminal case, including traffic cases and small claims cases, filed in the circuit court and district court, including the juvenile court, in Baldwin County. The fees shall not be waived by any court unless all other fees, assessments, costs, fines, and charges associated with the case are waived.

(b) The additional fees when collected by the clerks or their collection officers of the courts shall be paid into the Baldwin County Law Library and Judicial Administration Fund to be used to fund the salaries of court employees for the continued operation of the courts in the county and for other lawful purposes of this fund.

(c) The court costs imposed by this section shall expire on September 30, 2019, and this section shall be repealed.

(d) (c) The court costs imposed by this section may be adjusted within the amount authorized by this section or may be eliminated by order of the presiding circuit court judge if the presiding circuit court judge finds that the court costs may be adjusted or eliminated based on funding from the state.

(e) (d) It is legislative intent that the presiding circuit court judge may increase or decrease the court costs authorized by this section as deemed necessary not to exceed fifteen dollars ($15) per case."

Section 2

This act shall become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.