SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1181

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 30, 1996

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1181.

      S1181 would raise a number of fees imposed for the filing of various documents in civil actions. Among the fees increased is the filing fee for instituting an action in the Law Division of Superior Court which would be raised from $135.00 to $175.00. It is anticipated that the fee increases proposes in this bill will raise approximately $11 million annually. Of that $11 million, approximately $8.2 million would be used to provide an annual appropriation to Legal Services of New Jersey which presently provides legal services to the poor in civil matters under a contract with the Department of Community Affairs.

      As introduced, the remaining monies from this fee increase would have been used to fund fifteen additional Superior Court judgeships. As amended the by the committee, it is anticipated that the fee increase proposed in S-1181 would fund ten new Superior Court judgeships. The committee amendments also provide that 5% of this fee increase would be used for annual appropriations to Rutgers-Newark Law School, Rutgers-Camden Law School and Seton Hall Law School to fund clinics which provide legal services to the poor.