APPELLATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM FUND

(a) An appellate judicial system fund is established for each court of appeals, other than the Court of Appeals of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals District, to: (1) assist the court of appeals in the processing of appeals filed with the court of appeals from the county courts, statutory county courts, statutory probate courts, and district courts in the counties the court of appeals serves; and (2) defray costs and expenses incurred in the operation of the court of appeals. (b) To fund the appellate judicial system each county treasurer shall allocate to the fund the percentage of the local consolidated filing fee provided by Section 135.101(b)(1) or 135.102(b)(1), Local Government Code. (c) The fee required under Subsection (b)(2) shall be taxed, collected, and paid as other court costs in a suit. The clerk of the court shall collect the fee and pay it to the county treasurer. (d) The county treasurer shall monthly forward the money collected under this section to the clerk of the court of appeals serving the county for deposit in the appellate judicial system fund. The court of appeals may spend money in the fund for the purposes described by Subsection (a). Money in the fund may not be used for any other purpose. (e) The chief justice of each court of appeals is responsible for the management of all money deposited in the appellate judicial system fund for the chief justice's court of appeals and has sole discretion on use of the money in the fund, except that the money must be used for purposes consistent with the purposes described by Subsection (a) for which the fund was established.