AUSTIN — Two bills passed during the 87th Legislative Session by Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, consolidating civil court filing fees and prohibiting predatory wrap mortgages lending practices, became effective Jan. 1. This legislation is meant to simplify court costs and to protect homebuyers.
The Texas civil court system is difficult enough to navigate without the added burden of a complicated fee system, according Zaffirini. Under the previous law, the Office of Court Administration (OCA) reported 223 different civil court filing fees and identified potential constitutional issues regarding filing fees not collected for legitimate justice purposes. Senate Bill (SB) 41 addresses these concerns by simplifying the court cost structure and redirecting money to fund the administration of our courts.
“In 2019 my SB 346 completely overhauled the criminal court costs system, and in 2021 my SB 41 did the same for the civil courts,” Zaffirini said. “I’m delighted our collaboration with OCA resulted in this meaningful legislation that will improve the judicial system for so many.” She undertook the task at the request of Senator Joan Huffman, R-Houston, then-Chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee on which Zaffirini has served since 2015.
