CaliforniaCourts: fees.
What it does
Existing law, the Uniform Civil Fees and Standard Fee Schedule Act of 2005, establishes a set fee schedule for courts to implement for, among other things, filings, service, and changes of venue.
More detail
Existing law authorizes the court to charge a reasonable fee that does not exceed the costs of providing the service or product, if the Judicial Council approves the fee, as specified.
The bill would instead prohibit the court from charging a fee that exceeds the cost to the court of providing the service or product. The bill would require any fee not explicitly authorized by statute or rule to be approved by the Judicial Council. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2027, to report to the Legislature, as specified, regarding each fee charged by a superior court in the 2026–27 fiscal year for which the revenue collected by and distributed to the court as a result of the fee exceeds the court's cost of providing the service or product. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2028, and December 1, 2029, to report certain data to the Legislature, as specified, regarding the 2027–28 and 2028–29 fiscal years, respectively.
Existing law authorizes trial court records to be created, maintained, and preserved in any form of communication or representation, including paper, optical, electronic, magnetic, micrographic, or photographic media or other technology. Existing law requires those court records be made reasonably accessible to the public for viewing and duplication, with a reasonable provision controlling for the costs of duplication, as specified.
This bill would require court records maintained in electronic form to be viewable at the court and be available for duplication at a cost, as specified. The bill would allow a member of the public to request to view or duplicate accessible records, on the premises of the court and with the requester's equipment in a manner that does not make physical contact with the record, without being charged any fees or costs to reproduce the record, unless reproduction would result in, among other things, damage to the record or unauthorized access to the court's computer systems or networks, as specified. The bill would authorize the court to impose reasonable limits on the use of the requester's equipment that are necessary to protect the safety of the records or prevent the copying of the records from being an unreasonable burden, as specified.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 3Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 306, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 3Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 24Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 13
- Vote recorded AB 1524 JUD. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 12Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3422.).Major
- Sep 12In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Sep 11Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2932.).Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Special Consent AB1524 JUD. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 9Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Sep 2Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 29Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 29From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).Major
- Jul 14In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 2From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 1
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 19From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 11Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jun 3In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1524 Judiciary Assembly Third Reading By KALRA. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 2Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1894.)Passed Assembly
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- May 14In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 24Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 23Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 22From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 22).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 24Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Mar 19From printer. May be heard in committee April 18.
- Mar 18Read first time. To print.Introduced