This section lets the supreme court set state bar fees and sets rules for collecting, using, and exempting some members from those fees.
Sec. 81.054. MEMBERSHIP FEES AND ADDITIONAL FEES. (a) The supreme court shall set membership fees and other fees for members of the state bar during the court's annual budget process under Section 81.022. The fees, except as provided by Subsection (j) and those set for associate members, must be set in accordance with this section and Section 81.022. (b) An emeritus member is not required to pay a membership fee for the year in which the member reaches the age of 70 or any year following that year. (c) Fees shall be paid to the clerk of the supreme court. The clerk shall retain the fees, other than fees collected under Subsection (j), until distributed to the state bar for expenditure under the direction of the supreme court to administer this chapter. The clerk shall retain the fees collected under Subsection (j) until distribution is approved by an order of the supreme court. In ordering that distribution, the supreme court shall order that the fees collected under Subsection (j) be remitted to the comptroller at least as frequently as quarterly. The comptroller shall credit 50 percent of the remitted fees to the credit of the judicial fund for programs approved by the supreme court that provide basic civil legal services to the indigent and shall credit the remaining 50 percent of the remitted fees to the fair defense account in the general revenue fund which is established under Section 79.031, to be used, subject to all requirements of Section 79.037, for demonstration or pilot projects that develop and promote best practices for the efficient delivery of quality representation to indigent defendants in criminal cases at trial, on appeal, and in postconviction proceedings. (d) Fees collected under Subsection (j) may be used only to provide basic civil legal services to the indigent and legal representation and other defense services to indigent defendants in criminal cases as provided by Subsection (c). Other fees collected under this chapter may be used only for administering the public purposes provided by this chapter. (e) The state bar by rule may adopt a system under which membership fees are due on various dates during the year. For the year in which a due date is changed, the annual fee shall be prorated on a monthly basis so that the member pays only that portion of the fee that is allocable to the number of months remaining before the new expiration date. An increase in fees applies only to fees that are payable on or after the effective date of the increase. (f) A person who is otherwise eligible to renew the person's membership may renew the membership by paying the required membership fees to the state bar on or before the due date. (g) A person whose membership has been expired for 90 days or less may renew the membership by paying to the state bar membership fees equal to 1-1/2 times the normally required membership fees. (h) A person whose membership has been expired for more than 90 days but less than one year may renew the membership by paying to the state bar membership fees equal to two times the normally required membership fees. (i) Not later than the 30th day before the date a person's membership is scheduled to expire, the state bar shall send written notice of the impending expiration to the person at the person's last known address according to the records of the state bar. (j) The supreme court shall set an additional legal services fee in an amount of $65 to be paid annually by each active member of the state bar except as provided by Subsection (k). Section 81.024 does not apply to a fee set under this subsection. (k) The legal services fee shall not be assessed on any Texas attorney who: (1) is 70 years of age or older; (2) has assumed inactive status under the rules governing the State Bar of Texas; (3) is a sitting judge; (4) is an employee of the state or federal government; (5) is employed by a city, county, or district attorney's office and who does not have a private practice that accounts for more than 50 percent of the attorney's time; (6) is employed by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and is prohibited from the outside practice of law; (7) is exempt from MCLE requirements because of nonpracticing status; or (8) resides out of state and does not practice law in Texas. (l) In this section, "indigent" has the meaning assigned by Section 51.941. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 148, Sec. 3.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 795, Sec. 18, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 227, Sec. 13, 14, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 168), Sec. 1, eff. May 22, 2007. Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 855 (H.B. 1265), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 984 (H.B. 1754), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 531 (S.B. 302), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2017. SUBCHAPTER D. ADMISSION TO PRACTICE