FIRST REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Reported from the Committee on Judiciary April 13, 2005 with recommendation that House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 404 Do Pass. Referred to the Committee on Rules pursuant to Rule 25(26)(f). STEPHEN S. DAVIS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 488.031, 488.445, 488.607, and 488.5030, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof five new sections relating to court costs.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 488.031, 488.445, 488.607, and 488.5030, RSMo, are repealed and five new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 488.014, 488.031, 488.445, 488.607, and 488.5030, to read as follows:
488.014. No court of record in this state, municipal division of the circuit court, or any entity collecting court costs on their behalf shall be required to refund any overpayment of court costs in an amount not exceeding five dollars or to collect any due court costs in an amount of less than five dollars.
488.031. 1. In addition to other fees authorized by law, the clerk of each court shall collect the following fees on the filing of any civil or criminal action or proceeding, including an appeal, except that no fee shall be imposed pursuant to this section on any case that is filed charging traffic violations except alcohol-related offenses:
Supreme court and [courts] court of appeals $20.00;
Circuit [courts] division $10.00;
Associate circuit courts $8.00; and
Small claims courts No additional fee
2. Court filing surcharges pursuant to this section shall be collected in the same manner as other fees, fines, or costs in the case. The amounts so collected shall be paid by the clerk to the office of the state courts administrator and credited to the special fund designated as the basic civil legal services fund. However, the additional fees prescribed by this section shall not be collected when a criminal proceeding or defendant has been dismissed by the court or when costs are waived or are to be paid by the state, county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state.
488.445. 1. The governing body of any county, or of any city not within a county, by order or ordinance [to be effective prior to January 1, 2001,] may impose a fee upon the issuance of a marriage license and may impose a surcharge upon any civil case filed in the circuit court. The surcharge shall not be charged when costs are waived or are to be paid by the state, county or municipality.
2. The fee imposed upon the issuance of a marriage license shall be five dollars, shall be paid by the person applying for the license and shall be collected by the recorder of deeds at the time the license is issued. The surcharge imposed upon the filing of a civil action shall be two dollars, shall be paid by the party who filed the petition and shall be collected and disbursed by the clerk of the court in the manner provided by sections 488.010 to 488.020. Such amounts shall be payable to the treasuries of the counties from which such surcharges were paid.
3. At the end of each month, the recorder of deeds shall file a verified report with the county commission of the fees collected pursuant to the provisions of subsection 2 of this section. The report may be consolidated with the monthly report of other fees collected by such officers. Upon the filing of the reports the recorder of deeds shall forthwith pay over to the county treasurer all fees collected pursuant to subsection 2 of this section. The county treasurer shall deposit all such fees upon receipt in a special fund to be expended only to provide financial assistance to shelters for victims of domestic violence as provided in sections 455.200 to 455.230, RSMo.
488.607. [In addition to all other court costs for county or municipal ordinance violations,] The governing body of any county or any city having a shelter for victims of domestic violence established pursuant to sections 455.200 to 455.230, RSMo, or any municipality within a county which has such shelter, or any county or municipality whose residents are victims of domestic violence and are admitted to such shelters in another county, may, by order or ordinance provide for an additional surcharge in the amount of two dollars per case for each criminal case [and each county or municipal ordinance violation case filed before a municipal division judge or associate circuit judge], including violations of any county or municipal ordinance. No surcharge shall be collected in any proceeding when the proceeding or defendant has been dismissed by the court or when costs are to be paid by the state, county or municipality. Such surcharges collected by municipal clerks in municipalities electing or required to have violations of municipal ordinances tried before a municipal judge pursuant to section 479.020, RSMo, or to employ judicial personnel pursuant to section 479.060, RSMo, shall be disbursed to the city at least monthly, and such surcharges collected by circuit court clerks shall be collected and disbursed as provided by sections 488.010 to 488.020. Such fees shall be payable to the city or county wherein such fees originated. The county or city shall use such moneys only for the purpose of providing operating expenses for shelters for battered persons as defined in sections 455.200 to 455.230, RSMo.
488.5030. To collect on past-due court-ordered penalties, fines, restitution, sanctions, court costs, including restitution and juvenile monetary assessments, or judgments to the state of Missouri or one of its political subdivisions, any division of the circuit court may contract with public agencies or private entities operated by one or more public entities. Any fees or costs associated with such collection efforts shall be added to the amount due, but such fees and costs shall not exceed twenty percent of the amount collected.