Monitoring the Session

SB 1015

new formula for returning excess probate court fees

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDSenate 21

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to excess contributions and fees allocated to statutory probate courts.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Counties that paid in more than they got back get the excess.

The bill rewrites how the state comptroller figures out and returns extra probate court fee money that counties send into the state judicial fund. Counties with statutory probate courts that paid in more than they got back will receive the excess, split proportionately and adjusted for differences in what each county was paid. It also updates the fee source counties use to pay the presiding probate judge's salary and expenses, pointing to the judicial education and support fund, and applies to fees collected starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: CROSS-PARTY HANDOFF. Lead author Judith Zaffirini (D) in the Senate. Lead sponsor Jeff Leach (R) in the House. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 6, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee 10-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1015 · 2025-01-30

SOLD BY

Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDSenate 21

ITEM

relating to excess contributions and fees allocated to statutory probate courts.

WHAT IT DOES

Counties that paid in more than they got back get the excess.

The bill rewrites how the state comptroller figures out and returns extra probate court fee money that counties send into the state judicial fund. Counties with statutory probate courts that paid in more than they got back will receive the excess, split proportionately and adjusted for differences in what each county was paid. It also updates the fee source counties use to pay the presiding probate judge's salary and expenses, pointing to the judicial education and support fund, and applies to fees collected starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 10, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Jurisprudence
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Vote taken in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Placed on intent calendar
  15. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  16. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  17. Vote recorded in Journal
  18. Three day rule suspended
  19. Record vote
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the Senate
  25. Read first time
  26. Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
  27. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  28. Considered in public hearing
  29. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  30. Left pending in committee
  31. Considered in public hearing
  32. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  33. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  34. Committee report distributed
  35. Committee report sent to Calendars
  36. Considered in Calendars
  37. Placed on General State Calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 6, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Judith Zaffirini

Donors

Carlos M. Zaffirini Jr$110,000Killam Development Ltd.$73KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$60K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Carlos M. Zaffirini Jr$110,000.00
Killam Development Ltd.$72,700.00

Killam Development Ltd.

$72,700.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$62,700.00
Total
$72,700.00
advertising $33,000.00media $29,700.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 16, 2025 to Aug 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101011018, 101057658.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$60,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 11, 2024 to Aug 31, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100959783, 100987492, 101011018, 101035338, 101057658.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Killam Development Ltd.

$72,700.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$62,700.00
Total
$72,700.00
advertising $33,000.00media $29,700.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 16, 2025 to Aug 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101011018, 101057658.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 11, 2024 to Aug 31, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100959783, 100987492, 101011018, 101035338, 101057658.

Votes3

Senate May 6, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Zaffirini moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1015 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 6, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Zaffirini moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1015 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 6, 2025

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses5
For
4
Against
1
On
0
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Statutory Probate Courts of Texas1 registration
  • Self; Statutory Probate Judges of Texas1 registration
  • Travis County Commissioners Court1 registration

Against

  • Self1 registration
Sources

5 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 10, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Jan 30, 2025

05/26/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Sponsors
Jeff LeachRHouse 67

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Jurisprudence · Committee vote 5 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Courts--Administration

Courts--Appellate

Courts--County & Statutory

Courts--District

Courts--General

Courts--Judges

Courts--Justice

Fees & Other Nontax Revenue--Local

Fees & Other Nontax Revenue--State

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

COURT ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF

Text

The text as introduced · 431 words

89R4200 AMF-F

By: Zaffirini
S.B. No. 1015

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to excess contributions and fees allocated to statutory

probate courts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 25.00212, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as

follows:

(a) At the end of each state fiscal year, the comptroller

shall determine :

(1) the amounts deposited in the judicial fund under

Section 133.151(c)(1), Local Government Code, from fees remitted by

statutory probate courts under Section 133.151(a)(1), Local

Government Code; and

(2) the sum of the amount paid under Section

25.0022(e) and the total amounts paid to the counties under Section

25.00211.

(a-1) If the comptroller determines the total amount

deposited in the judicial fund by statutory probate courts in all

counties as calculated under Subsection (a)(1) exceeds the sum

calculated under Subsection (a)(2) [ that sum ], the comptroller

[ state ] shall remit the excess proportionately to each county that

contributed [ deposited ] a greater amount to [ in ] the judicial fund

from fees collected by a statutory probate court than the amount the

county was paid under Section 25.00211, as adjusted in an equitable

manner to reflect the differences in the total amounts paid to the

counties under Section 25.00211.

SECTION 2. Section 25.0022(f), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(f) Each county pays annually to the presiding judge, from

fees allocated to the judicial education and support fund under

[ collected pursuant to ] Section 135.102 [ 118.052(2)(A)(vi) ], Local

Government Code, the amount of the salary apportioned [ to it ] as

provided by this section and the other expenses authorized by this

section. The presiding judge shall place each county's payment of

salary and other expenses in an administrative fund, from which the

salary and other expenses are paid. The salary shall be paid in

equal monthly installments.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Section

25.00212, Government Code, apply only to amounts deposited in the

judicial fund under Section 133.151(c)(1), Local Government Code,

from fees collected by a statutory probate court on or after the

effective date of this Act. Amounts deposited in the judicial fund

under Section 133.151(c)(1), Local Government Code, from fees

collected by a statutory probate court before the effective date of

this Act are governed by the law in effect when the fees were

collected, and the former law is continued in effect for that

purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.