Overall Vote Recommendation
Vote Yes; Amend
Principle Criteria
Free Enterprise
Property Rights
Personal Responsibility
Limited Government
Individual Liberty
Digest
SB 1547 proposes amendments to Sections 118.011(a) and (e) of the Texas Local Government Code. This bill updates and clarifies the statutory fees that county clerks may charge for a variety of property-related services, including the filing and copying of personal and real property records, and the issuance of certified and non-certified copies of documents in both paper and electronic formats. The proposed fee schedule establishes consistent pricing structures across document types and formats, adjusting for both the physical number of pages and whether documents are being requested or submitted electronically.
The bill maintains the $5.00 fee for filing the first page of a personal or real property record and $4.00 for each additional page. It sets a $0.25 fee per name for indexing more than five names. For certified copies, the clerk’s certificate costs $5.00, with an added $1.00 per page for paper or electronic conversions. For electronic document copies, the bill proposes $1.00 per document (up to 10 pages) and $0.10 per page beyond that. Non-certified documents follow similar fee structures, with distinctions made between paper and electronic formats, and exemptions noted for certain types of real property records.
The intent behind SB 1547 appears to be administrative modernization—especially accounting for the increased use of digital formats—while maintaining transparency and consistency in public recordkeeping. By defining fees for newer document types and delivery methods, the bill ensures that county clerks have statutory guidance for charging and delivering services in a technologically evolving administrative environment.
The originally filed version of SB 1547 proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the fees county clerks may charge for a wide range of services. It maintained the existing fee structure for personal and real property records but also included a broader set of clerk-related services, such as fees for birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, brand registrations, and oath administration. Notably, the original version incorporated a provision (subsection e) linking electronic document fee structures to the Texas Public Information Act, specifically Government Code Sections 552.231 and 552.262, which govern cost calculations for non-paper public information.
In contrast, the Committee Substitute version of SB 1547 significantly narrows the bill’s scope. It focuses exclusively on fees related to the filing and copying of personal and real property records and the issuance of certified and non-certified document copies in paper or electronic formats. This version omits the additional service categories like marriage licenses and oaths, thereby limiting the bill’s impact on property records management. It also eliminates subsection (e), removing the requirement for county clerks to align non-paper copy fees with the broader provisions of the Public Information Act. This suggests an intent to localize control over fee structures and streamline recordkeeping in the digital age.
The changes reflect a strategic simplification of the bill, likely in response to concerns about overreach or redundancy. By tightening the focus to property records and related documentation, the substitute may find broader legislative support while still achieving key modernization goals. The omission of the Public Information Act cross-reference also appears to grant clerks clearer, more direct statutory authority over how they assess fees for digital records, potentially avoiding conflicts or confusion with general open records requirements.
Author (1)
Judith Zaffirini
Sponsor (1)
Angelia Orr
Contact the Author
Sen. Judith Zaffirini
Capitol Phone:
(512) 463-0121
Capitol Office:
CAP 1E.13
E-Mail:
