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Bill

A 7734

Increases the jurisdictional limit from $3,000 to $5,000 for justice courts and increases filing fees

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Pat Carroll and 1 co-sponsor

Raises justice court jurisdiction from $3,000 to $5,000 and increases filing fees, affecting civil plaintiffs/defendants and boosting funding for court operations.

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 7734

Bill Summary: A 7734

What this bill would do (Purpose and intent)

  • Aims to modify the civil jurisdiction framework for justice courts and adjust the financing mechanism for justice court operations.
  • Specifically, it would:
    • Increase the jurisdictional limit for justice courts from $3,000 to $5,000.
    • Increase filing fees associated with justice court actions.

Key provisions and changes

  • Jurisdictional limit:
    • Raise the maximum amount in controversy that can be heard in justice courts from $3,000 to $5,000.
  • Filing fees:
    • Increase the filing fees required for actions filed in justice courts (the exact fee amounts and structure would be defined in the bill text).
  • Scope:
    • Applies to civil matters heard in justice courts, expanding the types of claims eligible for resolution within these courts rather than higher courts.

Who/what would be affected

  • Plaintiffs and defendants in small- to mid-sized civil matters currently under the $3,000 threshold.
  • Justice courts and associated court operations would see changes in case volumes and potential revenue from higher filing fees.
  • Local municipalities and municipalities’ court administrations that rely on justice court infrastructure may experience administrative and budgetary implications due to changed case thresholds and fee schedules.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, indicating the bill has been assigned to the Judiciary committee for review.
  • Introduced: April 8, 2025.
  • Legislative actions recorded:
    • 2025-04-08: REFERRED TO JUDICIARY (listed twice in the record).
  • Sponsor information:
    • Primary Sponsor: Patrick J. Carroll
    • Cosponsor: Steven Otis
  • Related legislation:
    • Prior-session related bills: A 1935, A 1746, A 2091, A 3876, A 10731, A 2157, A 3799, A 1864, A 2855
    • Companion: S 5316 (listed as companion in the record)

Financial considerations (impact overview)

  • Revenue: Increased filing fees would raise funds for justice court operations (exact amounts and allocation would be detailed in the bill).
  • Costs for litigants: Higher filing costs may affect individuals and small businesses bringing actions in justice courts.
  • Implementation: The bill would likely require changes to court fee schedules and administrative processes; any effective date would be specified in the enacted text or implementing provisions.

Notes

  • The bill’s text would provide the precise fee amounts, any phased effective dates, and specific implementation details. The current summary reflects the information available: jurisdictional increase to $5,000 and an increase in filing fees, with the bill currently referred to the Judiciary committee.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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